THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

GIFT  OF 


Mrs.    Ralph  W.    Powell 


Oct.  131-^ 


Digitized  by  tlie  Internet  Arcliive 

in  2008  witli  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


littp://www.arcliive.org/details/alongriverroadinOOdukericli 


I 


Along  River  #  Road 


IN 


FUH-KIEN,  CHINA. 


BY 

EDWIN  JOSHUA  DUKES. 


WITH   A   MAP  AND    ILLUSTRATIONS 
FROM   SKETCHES   BY  THE   AUTHOR. 


AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY, 

150  NASSAU   STREET,    NEW  YORK    CITY. 


LOAN  STACK 
GIFP 


-J-^ 


D72 

IV\Pr\f\} 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


AMO.^  FROM  KULANGSEU   ....        Frotiiispiece. 

A  CHINESE  PEEP-SHOW.    AN  IDOL  PROCESSION  27 

BARBER J3 

WHEELBARROW. 47 

JINRIKSHA 53 

BOAT-TOWING 65 

NIA-TAU.      SHOOTING   THE  RAPIDS     .        ...  73 

ROOM  IN  MANDARINS  HOUSE 8j 

GAMBLERS  . 123 

MAP.     TUNG-A-BE  CHAPEL 157 

MASTER  MERCY,   THE  COOK.     CHINESE  PRISON- 
ERS WEARING  THE  CANGUE        .        ...      163 

CHINESE  COURTROOM 205 

BOYS'  SCHOOL 253 

CHINESE  STUDENTS 257 

CHINESE  PUNISHMENTS 263 

LONDON  MISSION  HOUSE,  A3IOY     .        ...       3^3 


983 


PREFACE 


That  China  is  a  mysterious  problem  to  all 
who  interest  themselves  in  its  affairs  is  the  only 
excuse  for  writing  another  book  about  it.  To 
the  Christian  its  religious  state  is  a  subject  to  be 
spoken  of  with  bated  breath.  To  the  politician 
the  condition  of  its  government  and  people  is  one 
of  the  chronic  disturbing  elements  in  his  specu- 
lations. 

In  the  following  pages  the  writer  ventures  to 
think  he  has  pictured  the  people  of  that  great 
and  wonderful  land  in  a  light  in  which  they  have 
not  often  been  seen  by  any  but  a  traveller.  The 
endeavor  has  not  been  to  represent  China  from 
the  special  point  of  view  of  the  politician,  mer- 
chant, or  missionary,  but  simply  to  describe  the 
scenes  of  daily  life  as  they  appear  to  one  moving 
to  and  fro  among  them.  This  book  has  no  inten- 
tion of  being  profound  nor  of  explaining  every- 
thing. It  is  consistent  with  its  title,  and  presents 
the  reader  only  familiar  sketches.  The  chapters 
are,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  compiled  from 
notes  made  when  travelling  upon  mission  jour- 


6  PREFACE. 

neys  and  from  letters  written  to  friends  in  Eng- 
land. It  has  been  the  writer's  hope  that  the 
effort  to  portray  the  Chinese  as  they  are  seen  in 
their  daily  life  may  create  in  the  minds  of  per- 
sons interested  in  the  religious  welfare  of  China 
a  more  intelligent  sympathy  with  missionary 
work. 

This  strange  nation,  who  win  their  way  to 
the  front  rank  in  commerce  and  easily  outdo  the 
Hindoo,  Malay,  and  Saxon  on  their  own  soil, 
who  have  proved  themselves  the  equals  of  Euro- 
pean statesmen  in  diplomacy,  who  persevere 
steadily  and  earn  a  living  in  the  face  of  every 
obstacle,  taking  ' '  time  for  their  fulcrum  and  pa- 
tience for  their  lever, ' '  as  Sir  John  Davis  said  of 
them,  and  who  defy  climatic  differences,  living 
with  almost  equal  ease  in  the  Torrid  or  Arctic 
Zone,  must  be  destined  to  decide  much  of  the 
future  history  of  the  globe.  A  few  years  more 
and  the  "Chinese  question"  will  be  regarded  as 
one  to  be  discussed  not  merely  by  Irish  obstruc- 
tionists of  cheap  labor  in  California,  or  by  gold- 
diggers  and  sheep-farmers  in  Australia;  it  will 
become  a  great  international  problem,  summon- 
ing to  its  solution  the  wisdom  and  resources  of 
the  cabinets  of  Western  countries  and  calling 
forth  the  united  efforts  of  Christendom.  Change 
and  movement  will  be  rapid  in  China,  now  that 


PREFACE.  7 

they  are  fairly  begun.  Outside  nations  will  soon 
feel  the  pressure  of  the  unwieldy  mass  of  this 
Chinese  race.  The  nation  so  long  self-barred 
from  international  relations  is  being  driven  to 
seek  alliances  abroad.  A  people  who  lately 
scorned  to  know  where  England  is,  or  France 
or  Russia,  is  opening  its  eyes  to  see  prospects  of 
gain  beyond  its  own  borders.  Already  the  Chi- 
nese are  pouring  down  a  human  torrent  upon  the 
countries  and  islands  of  the  East.  Cambodia, 
Burmah,  Siam,  and  the  entire  Malay  peninsula 
show  signs  of  being  overrun  by  the  Chinaman, 
while  tens  of  thousands  are  wending  their  way 
across  the  sea  to  Borneo,  Sumatra,  Java,  Papua, 
the  Philippines,  the  Celebes,  and  the  Sandwich 
Islands.  More  slowly  they  stream  northward, 
settling  down  upon  the  bleak  steppes  of  Asiatic 
Russia  and  the  green  plains  of  Thibet,  Mongolia, 
and  Manchuria.  The  unoccupied  spaces  of  the 
lands  of  the  rising  sun  lie  before  them.  Peace- 
fully but  resolutely  they  are  taking  possession  of 
sparsely-populated  regions.  It  needs  but  a  little 
of  the  spirit  of  the  prophet  to  foretell  that  this 
generation  shall  not  pass  till  it  has  seen  great 
events  in  China.  Nor  is  there  any  doubt  in  the 
minds  of  any  one  acquainted  with  the  story  of 
its  Protestant  missions  that,  happen  what  may 
politically,  the  Christian  church  is  now  so  firmly 


8  PREFACE. 

rooted  there  that  every  change  will  result  in  the 
wider  opening  of  the  doors  for  the  heralds  of  the 
cross. 

Many  of  these  familiar  descriptions  of  life  in 
China  were  written  at  Amoy,  in  the  Fuh-kien 
province — a  place  concerning  which  very  little 
has  been  said  by  writers  on  China.  It  was  the 
people  of  that  province  whom  the  writer  almost 
always  had  in  his  mind.  Customs  and  manners 
differ  in  certain  parts  of  the  land  as  much  as  the 
languages  of  the  southern  half,  but  not  enough, 
it  is  presumed,  to  prevent  the  Fuh-kienese  from 
being  typical,  for  the  most  part,  of  the  Chinaman 
of  Chili  or  Quantung,  of  Kansuh  or  Chikiang. 

By  the  kind  permission  of  Mr.  James  Clarke, 
the  chapter  on  "Feng-shui,"  originally  written 
for  the  "Christian  World  Magazine,"  is  reprinted 
here  with  only  a  few  modifications  and  additions. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  WALK   IN  THE   STREETS. 

What  is  a  street?  Things  suggested,  but  not  said.  A  heathen 
temple.  "Joss-houses."  Buyers  and  sellers  in  the  temple. 
Burden-bearers.  A  clothier's  advertisement.  Wandering  in 
sheep-skins  and  goat-skins.  The  bootmaker's  inconsidera- 
tion  for  the  favorite  corn.  Restaurants  and  sweet-stuff  shops. 
Public  theatricals.  A  pictorial  genius.  A  "  designing  char- 
acter." Ablutions  in  public.  The  omnipresent  "  miracle 
man."  The  barber.  Mandarin  procession.  Sign-boards  and 
mottoes.  "  No  cheating  here."  English  pictures  in  a  Chinese 
street.  Having  eyes,  they  see  not.  On  the  way  to  chapel. 
Comedy  and  tragedy.   Cash,  the  end  and  aim  of  existence    15 


CHAPTER  II. 

TRAVELLING   BY   ROAD   AND   RIVER. 

So-called  "great  roads."  Private  ideas  concerning  road-making. 
Locomotion  in  the  north.  The  by-paths.  Somewhat  "  un- 
equally j'oked."  The  "  one-hoss  shay."  The  "  Pullman  car  " 
of  Shanghai.  Universal  conveyance  of  Central  China.  A 
developed  wheelbarrow.  Sedan-chair.  Chair-bearers.  The 
Chinese  "cabby"  and  his  "fare."  Undue  hospitality.  "  Squeez- 
ing" the  foreigner.  A  "contested  election"  of  chair-bearers. 
Simple  rules  of  conduct.  Travelling  by  water.  Passage 
junks.  The  mission  junk.  Shooting  the  rapids.  More  ex- 
citing than  pleasant.  Down  the  North  River.  Boats  and  pilots. 
A  trusty  leader 43 


lO  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  III. 

CHINESE    INNS. 

An  inn.  What  it  is.  What  it  is  not.  Simple  habits  of  John 
Chinaman.  Expenses  of  furnishing.  An  "  imperial "  hotel. 
A  "people's  cafe."  An  inhabitant  of  another  sphere.  The 
eternal  topic.  Refinements  of  civilization.  Foreign  ghosts. 
A  laudable  desire  for  information.  "  In  season  and  out  of 
season."  Inns  in  the  north.  Sleeping  accommodation  in  the 
south.  What's  in  a  name?  A  night  to  be  remembered,  or 
perhaps  forgotten.  MuUa  in  parvo.  Hindrances  to  repose. 
The  warming-pan.  Names  of  inns.  Entertaining  company. 
Opportunities  of  Christian  work  in  inns       .        .        .        .78 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  CHINESE   NEW  YEAR. 

Chinese  holidays.  No  Sabbath.  Preparations  for  New  Year.  The 
universal  birthday.  Aged  infants.  Respect  for  age.  Simi- 
larity between  the  Hebrew  and  Chinese  customs.  Winding 
up  accounts.  Fear  the  gods,  honor  the  king.  Crackers. 
Early  matins.  The  sacrifices.  "Surrounding  the  furnace." 
The  city  on  New  Year's  morning.  Jack  is  as  fine  as  his  mas- 
ter. The  "  Book  of  Rites."  Afternoon  calls  and  four  o'clock 
tea.  New  Year's  gifts.  The  Chinese  en  fete.  No  work  for  a 
week.    "  All  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a  dull  boy  "    .  106 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  HABITS  AND  MANNERS  OF  JOHN  CHINAMAN. 
Adverse  views  concerning  the  Chinese  race.  Missionaries  the 
best  judges.  The  buyer  sold.  Filial  piety  and  respect. 
"Father-mothers"  and  "lion-tigers."  Moderation  of  the 
Chinaman.  Claims  of  rival  deities.  Courtesy,  geniality,  hos- 
pitality. Burden  of  the  "  proprieties."  A  Chinaman's  esti- 
mate of  the  English.  Confucian  ethics.  The  dark  side  of 
Chinese  life.  Commercial  integrity.  No  idea  of  the  sacred- 
ness  of  truth.  "  It  is  naught,  it  is  naught,"  saith  the  buyer,  etc. 
Pilfering.  A  "high  commission  "  court.  Unjust  judges.  Uni- 
versal immorality.  The  sphere  of  woman.  Chinese  women 
better  off  than  other  Orientals.   The  "upper  ten"  in  China  127 


CONTENTS.  II 

CHAPTER  VI. 

DIARY  OF  A    MISSIONARY   JOURNEY. 

The  gospel  boat.  A  village  chapel.  An  embryo  hymnologist.  A 
pastoral  visit.  A  "  Sunday  out."  Providing  for  a  journey. 
"Sold  again!"  Chinese  bridges.  Mosquitoes  more  pressing 
than  polite.  Lost  on  the  way.  A  converted  pawn-shop.  Early 
risers.  Salt-making.  An  unexpected  pleasure.  Advanced 
j-oung  women.  Small  feet.  Country  worshippers.  A  proph- 
et's chamber.  The  nearer  the  church,  the  farther  from  God. 
Sabbath  observance.  The  "  city  of  grace  and  peace."  Chapel 
destroyed  by  a  mob.  Dragons  and  demons  guarding  the 
temple.  Progress  of  the  work.  Note. — Legend  of  the  Great 
Bridge  of  Lo-iu 154 

CHAPTER  VII. 

OVER  THE   HILLS   OF   FUH-KIEN. 

Breaking  fresh  ground.  Graves  and  monuments.  A  truly  inde- 
pendent pastor.  Self-support  in  the  churches.  A  model 
chapel.  Varieties  of  language.  A  quiet  resting-place.  Some 
exquisite  scenery.  Twelve  days  in  Foochow,  the  "  Happy 
City."  The  Episcopal  Methodist  Conference.  Off  again. 
Changes  in  temperature.  A  Chinese  feast.  Perilous  paths. 
Morning  worship.  A  Sunday  in  the  clouds.  Bad  inns  again. 
Settling  the  area  of  the  Amoy  language  towards  the  north. 
Utter  callousness  of  the  heathen  to  Christian  doctrine.  Liter- 
ally, a  china  town.  A  grewsome  sanctuary.  Computation  of 
distance.    There  's  no  place  like  home        ....  189 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

FENG-SHUI  :    THE   BIGGEST   OF  ALL   BUGBEARS. 

What  Feng-Shui  is.  Feng-Shui  doctors.  Unquiet  spirits.  Fixing 
a  site  for  the  last  home.  Fair  breezes  and  foul.  Current  in- 
fluences. Disturbing  elements.  Use  of  pagodas.  An  interna- 
tional quarrel.  The  spirits  object  to  railways  and  telegraphs. 
A  haunted  chapel.  Unsettled  remains.  "  Potted  Chinaman." 
The  autocrat  at  the  sepulchre.  Physician,  heal  thyself !  The 
old  love  and  the  new.  Opening  up  of  coal-mines.  Probable 
effects  of  development  of  the  resources  of  China        .        .  220 


12  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

SCHOOLS   AND   COLLEGES. 

Reverence  for  education.  Chinese  literature.  Its  ethical  and 
moral  excellence  and  influence.  Signification  of  the  words 
"learning"  and  "education."  Men  of  letters.  How  many 
can  read?  Respect  for  the  written  character.  "Fragments 
of  science."  Examinations  the  road  to  prosperity.  A  boys' 
school.  The  village  dominie.  College  life.  Vain  repetitions. 
What  subjects  taught.  Misleading  notions  as  to  academical 
degrees.  Viceroy  Yeh  on  preparation  for  official  position. 
Men  of  one  idea.  Conferring  degrees.  Persevering  candi- 
dates. "  Purchasing  to  themselves  a  good  degree."  Signs  of 
approaching  change.  English-speaking  Chinese.  Newspapers 
in  China.  The  broad  end  of  the  wedge  is  getting  in  .        .  240 


CHAPTER  X. 

A  BUDDHIST  MONASTERY. 

Heavenwards,  but  not  to  heaven.  Buddhist  monks,  their  origin 
and  occupation.  The  "  voluntary  system  "  ad  nauseam.  Plan 
of  Kushan.  The  local  deities.  The  "  vanities  of  the  heathen." 
Leisurely  printers.  A  very  holy  brother.  Buddha's  tooth. 
How  big  was  Buddha?  A  Buddhist  "Zoo."  "Preserved 
fish."  A  story  to  be  whispered.  The  tolling  bell.  "Where 
nature  fails,  art  steps  in."  "  I  went  away  from  there."  Buddh- 
ist worship.  A  musical  service.  Forty  stripes  save  one  on 
popery      .        .        .        .        . 274 

CHAPTER  XL 

CREMATION   OF   A   BUDDHIST   PRIEST. 

A  novel  funeral  procession.  Paper  currency.  Mourning  dress. 
The  cremation  ground.  "All  sorts  and  conditions  of  men." 
The  furnace.  Mode  of  conducting  the  funeral  service.  Rather 
monotonous.  Unceremonious  treatment  of  the  dead.  Burial 
fees.  Collecting  the  ashes.  A  monk  "on  the  shelf"  at 
last ! 295 


CONTENTS.  13 

CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  MISSIONARY   AT  WORK. 

Notions  of  Christians  at  home  as  to  missionaries.  "  Hat  and  stick 
and  hymn-book  too."  Nearly  7,000  sermons  without  a  con- 
vert. Instruction  vs.  exhortation.  Natives  as  preachers. 
Preaching  in  the  market-place.  Christ  and  the  idols  face  to 
face.  The  humorous  aspect  of  idolatry.  The  idol-mender. 
Daily  preaching  services.  Arrangements  of  a  chapel.  "  Let  the 
women  keep  silence  in  the  churches."  Behavior  in  church. 
An  e.xtraordinary  interruption.  Prepared  hearts.  Buddhist 
tract  distribution.  Onniivorous  credulity.  Chinese  psalmody. 
Sunday-schools.     Books  in  Roman  letter     ....  308 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

OUR   CHINESE    BRETHREN    IN    CHRIST. 

The  "rest  and  refreshment"  of  being  a  missionary  deputation. 
Quality  of  converts.  The  love  of  Christ  and  the  love  of  cash. 
"  Passing  rich  on  si.xteen  pounds  a  year."  A  Chinese  bargain. 
Struggle  for  existence.  Christian  liberality.  Peaceable,  but 
very  noisy.  Living  by  faith.  Speaking  for  Christ.  "  Philip 
findeth  Nathanael."  "Sheep  without  a  shepherd."  An  "  in- 
dependent" church.  Brother  Tiap  and  his  wonderful  doings. 
The  "Praise-God  village."  Fluency  of  Chinese  speakers. 
The  Emperor's  Chinese  hard  to  murder.  Church  members  as 
evangelists.    "  The  "apostle  of  the  Chinese  "     .        .        .335 


ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD 


IN 


FUH-KIEN,  CHINA. 


CHAPTER   I. 

A   WALK   IN   THE   STREETS. 

I  WELL  remember  the  earnestness  with  which 
one  of  our  most  honored  theological  professors 
besought  a  class  of  students  to  cultivate  the  "his- 
torical imagination"  when  reading  the  Bible  or 
when  preparing  for  the  pulpit.  "Try  to  see  the 
event  for  yourselves,"  he  said;  "let  it  happen 
over  again  as  you  describe  it." 

In  attempting  to  paint  in  broad  outline  the 
daily  scenes  of  a  missionary's  life  in  China  I  can 
only  entreat  the  reader  to  endeavor  to  exercise  the 
"geographical  imagination,"  and  to  see  for  him- 
self, by  the  aid  of  imagination,  the  strange  sights 


l6      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

that  meet  the  eye  of  the  ordinary  traveller  or  the 
"messengers  of  the  churches"  in  this  wonderful 
Eastern  land. 

Let  us  begin  with  a  walk  through  the  streets, 
just  such  a  walk  as  one  would  have  to  take  on  a 
Sunday  afternoon  in  marching  a  mile  through  the 
town  to  conduct  the  service  at  a  Christian  chapel. 
Put  away,  if  you  please,  all  the  prejudices  you 
have  acquired  from  childhood  in  connection  with 
that  word  "street."  Do  not  think  of  a  paved  or 
gravelled  road  with  a  path  on  each  side,  and 
horses  and  carts  pursuing  their  way,  while  foot- 
passengers  are  looking  into  the  shops  with  glazed 
windows  or  hurrying  along  the  broad  pavement. 

First,  remember  that  throughout  almost  the 
whole  of  the  country  south  of  the  Yang-tsze  River 
there  is  scarcely  to  be  found  such  a  thing  as  a 
wheeled  vehicle.  In  the  north  rude  carts  are 
made,  which  do  their  duty  as  best  they  can  under 
the  combined  difficulties  of  imskilful  construction 
of  the  carts  themselves,  the  bad  condition  of  the 
roads,  the  imperfect  culture  of  the  beasts  of  bur- 
den, and,  not  least,  the  eccentricities  of  their  own- 
ers. But  south  of  the  Yang-tsze,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  wheelbarrows  for  goods  and  passengers,  the 
only  vehicle  is  the  sedan-chair  in  some  of  its  vari- 
ous stages  of  development.  Then  imagine  the 
streets  as  mere  alleys  and  courts,  and  not  at  all 


A   WALK    IN    THE   STREETS.  17 

what  we  mean  by  the  word  "street. "  Stretch  out 
your  arms,  and  reflect  that  in  so  doing,  in  an  ordi- 
nary Chinese  town,  you  would  generally  be  able 
to  touch  the  counters  of  the  shops  on  both  sides  of 
the  way.  ]\Iany  towns,  of  course,  have  a  few 
streets  twice,  and  even  three  times,  that  width, 
but  they  are  the  exception ;  while  on  the  other 
hand  there  is  in  every  populous  town  an  immense 
network  of  narrow  alleys  in  which  it  is  impossible 
for  two  persons  to  pass  one  another  without  mu- 
tual concession.  The  spectacle  of  a  portly  gentle- 
man walking  sideways  for  a  few  paces  because  he 
is  a  few  inches  less  broad  from  front  to  back  than 
he  is  from  side  to  side  is  one  that  appears  after  a 
little  time  to  be  very  natural  and  not  at  all  hu- 
morous. 

But  before  we  go  farther  let  me  say  that,  in 
attempting  a  description  of  every-day  life  in  a 
heathen  country,  it  is  quite  necessary  to  pass  over 
many  things  that  would  render  the  narrative  more 
graphic  and  realistic.  Some  of  these  are  often  the 
very  things  in  which  the  character  of  the  people 
stands  most  clearly  revealed,  and  which  it  is  need- 
ful to  know  in  order  to  have  a  true  idea  of  what 
they  are  like.  Although  China  is  very  far  from 
being  destitute  of  what  we  call  civilization,  yet 
the  people  are  thoroughly  Oriental  in  their  habits 
as  well  as  in  their  position,  and  it  is  impossible  to 

Biver  aad  Bond  ia  Cbiaa.  9 


l8      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

walk  for  five  minutes  in  the  smallest  village  or 
the  largest  town  without  seeing  much  which  had 
better  not  be  put  on  paper.  One  is  compelled  to 
sum  the  matter  up  in  some  such  phrases  as  these: 
that  very  few,  even  of  the  gentry,  burden  them- 
selves with  that  product  of  Western  refinement, 
the  pocket-handkerchief;  that  soap  is  almost  un- 
known and  washing  is  not  regarded  as  one  of  the 
necessary  duties  of  life ;  that  in  warm  weather 
most  Chinamen  do  not  perspire  under  a  needless 
quantity  of  clothing ;  that  the  vast  array  of  beg- 
gars that  obstruct  the  way  at  intervals  regard  their 
ghastly  sores  as  so  much  stock  in  trade,  to  be  ex- 
hibited accordingly;  and  that  the  odors  in  every 
town  without  exception,  and  in  most  villages,  are 
many  and  disagreeable. 

The  stroll  we  are  about  to  take  is  through  the 
town  of  Amoy,  and  we  will  turn  our  steps  in  the 
direction  of  "Little  Customhouse  Street,"  which 
is  about  a  mile  from  the  sea-shore.  The  street  we 
are  entering  is  "  Facing  Kwan-tai's  Temple 
Street."  The  name  is  not  posted  up  at  an  angle 
of  the  wall,  as  with  us,  but  over  the  wooden  gate- 
way which  admits  to  the  next  ward  of  the  town. 

The  first  object  that  attracts  our  attention  is 
the  exterior  of  the  temple  itself  To  one  who  has 
associated  the  idea  of  pagan  worship  with  what  is 
grand  and  beautiful  in  its  outward  aspects,  it  is 


A   WALK   IN   the;   streets.  19 

almost  shocking  to  enter  such  a  house  as  this  con- 
secrated to  Kwan-tai.  The  word  ' '  temple, ' '  also, 
has  been  so  sacred  to  us  from  our  infancy  through 
its  connection  in  our  minds  with  the  worship  of 
the  living  God,  that  to  apply  it  to  this  dirty, 
unsightly  shed,  harboring  not  only  the  dust- 
covered  images  of  Kwan-tai  and  his  attendants, 
but  choice  representatives  of  the  various  grades  of 
the  ragtag  and  bobtail  of  a  heathen  town,  strikes 
us  as  a  profanation  of  the  term.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  however,  in  China  these  places  are  not  often 
spoken  of  as  temples.  The  word  commonly  used 
both  by  merchants  and  missionaries  is  yoss-house. 
Its  derivation  is  from  the  Portuguese  Dios^  which 
again  is  from  the  Latin  Deus^  God.  Dios  is  cor- 
rupted by  the  Chinese  who  speak  that  mongrel 
abomination,  "pigeon-English,"  into  yoss.  They 
apply  the  same  term  to  our  Christian  worship  as 
to  their  own  idolatrous  customs.  To  burn  incense- 
sticks  before  an  idol,  or  to  go  to  church  as  the 
Christians  do,  is  alike  to  "go  do  Joss." 

But  could  idolatry  condemn  itself  more  utterly 
in  any  other  way  than  in  permitting  such  a  place 
as  this  to  be  used  for  worship?  It  seems  never  to 
have  been  painted,  washed,  or  swept  since  it  was 
built.  And  what  a  crowd  of  half-dressed  rascals! 
While  some  poor  soul  is  lighting  her  sticks  of  in- 
cense before  the  dirty  idols  and  shaking  out  of 


20      ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

the  bamboo  jar  the  fortune-telling  slips,  a  roar  and 
rattle  of  rapid  and  incessant  chatter  is  kept  up  by 
the  loafers  who  surround  little  tables  made  of  a 
tray  on  the  top  of  a  basket,  gambling  with  dice, 
tossing  cash,  getting  their  fortunes  told,  dictating 
a  letter  to  a  professional  scribe,  or  haggling  noisily 
over  some  matter  of  business.  It  is  a  fact  univer- 
sally recognized  that  the  joss-houses  are  frequented 
most  by  the  worst  characters  of  the  town,  and  that 
schemes  of  wickedness  are  commonly  hatched  un- 
der the  noses  of  the  gods. 

The  little  space  in  front  of  the  building  is  oc- 
cupied with  movable  stalls  containing  all  kinds  of 
goods.  Most  of  these  stalls  are  removed  at  night. 
Here  are  trays  of  cakes  and  sweetmeats,  caps, 
purses,  jade-stone  bracelets,  combs,  pipes,  lan- 
terns, writing  materials,  little  pictures  in  frames, 
portraits  of  women  supposed  to  be  beautiful, 
boots,  umbrellas,  native  and  foreign,  parafhne-oil 
lamps,  and  a  thousand  odds  and  ends  of  trinkets 
the  like  of  which  one  sees  in  England  only  at  a 
bazar  or  a  fair. 

From  the  front  of  Kwan-tai's  undignified  resi- 
dence we  enter  a  very  long  street  crowded  with 
busy  people.  The  prospect  of  having  to  proceed 
for  a  long  distance  through  such  narrow  streets 
and  such  a  rabble  of  the  unwashed  is  anything 
but  exhilarating.     In  China  it  is  always  well  not 


A  WALK  IN   THE   STREETS.  21 

to  be  in  a  hurry,  but  particularly  so  in  the  main 
thoroughfares  of  a  busy  town.  There  seems  to  be 
no  room  at  all  to  spare.  Many  persons  are  carry- 
ing heavy  and  bulky  burdens  that  nearly  block 
the  narrow  road,  and  compel  those  who  do  not 
care  to  be  knocked  down  to  retire  precipitately 
into  a  shop-door  to*  let  the  carriers  pass.  Here 
they  come,  one  after  another,  trotting  at  a  mod- 
erate pace,  because  they  say  it  is  easier  to  carry  a 
heavy  weight  when  running  than  when  walking. 
There  being  no  other  means  of  transport  than 
human  hands  and  human  shoulders,  every  variety 
of  goods,  bales  of  all  sorts  and  sizes,  are  borne 
upon  a  pole  across  the  hardened  and  distorted 
shoulders  of  the  professional  burden-bearers.  The 
scanty  dress  allows  us  to  observe  the  splendid  sin- 
ews of  these  men,  but  their  bent  backs  too  often 
prove  that  they  have  suffered  severely  in  their 
painful  tasks.  The  coolie  is  a  much-enduring 
beast  of  burden,  but  he  pays  down  something  of 
his  life  as  well  as  of  sweat  for  the  miserable  dole 
of  cash  which  he  earns  with  such  labor.  As  we 
are  noting  these  facts  we  hasten  to  avoid  being 
hurt  by  an  enormous  box  carried  by  four  men, 
who  have  only  four  square  yards  of  clothing 
among  them,  and  who  are  glistening  from  head 
to  foot  with  perspiration.  The  chest  contains  the 
stage  properties  of  a  band  of  strolling  players,  who 


22      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

have  probably  been  hired  to  make  night  hideous 
in  some  highly-favored  quarter  of  the  town.  Be- 
fore we  get  home  we  may  possibly  see  a  troupe 
performing  their  professional  duties. 

You  will  perceive  that  the  streets  are  admira- 
bly paved.  The  slabs  of  stone  are  not  quite  level, 
it  is  true.  They  have  been  worn  into  inequality 
by  the  footsteps  of  multitudes  of  the  barefooted 
and  the  shod.  But  still  these  blocks,  seven  feet 
long,  that  extend  from  side  to  side,  make  a  solid 
pavement.  Immediately  underneath  is  the  sewer. 
That  is  why  there  is  a  space  of  an  inch  or  less  be- 
tween each  slab.  The  sewer,  being  open,  gets 
thoroughly  ventilated,  and  so  retards  the  forming 
of  poisonous  gases  ;  and  when  there  is  a  heavy 
shower  the  water  runs  off  the  path  instantane- 
ously and  cleanses  the  drains. 

But  who  and  what  are  these  melancholy  mor- 
tals who  are  meandering  along  covered  with 
sheep -skins?  They  are  what,  when  you  see 
them,  you  call  "sandwich-men."  They  are  ex- 
hibiting the  wares  purchasable  at  this  clothier's 
shop  on  our  left.  Instead  of  carrying  advertise- 
ment-boards and  wandering  up  and  down  the 
street,  a  layer  of  lean  mortality  between  two  slices 
of  wood,  they  wear  upon  their  own  backs  the  very 
goods  which  you  are  respectfully  invited  to  in- 
spect and  to  buy.     Do  not  imagine  that  a  China- 


A  WALK  IN  THE   STREETS.  23 

man's  mind  feels  any  qualms  at  the  thouglit  that 
these  garments  have  been  for  weeks  upon  the 
back  of  one  of  the  unwashed.  He  is  troubled  by 
no  such  unpleasant  reflections.  But  he  would  no 
doubt  drive  a  harder  bargain  on  the  plea  that  they 
had  been  already  much  worn. 

These  sheep-skins  are  very  highly  valued  in 
winter  by  the  country  people.  If  you  were  rela- 
ting to  an  agricultural  audience  in  the  south  of 
China,  and  in  the  north  also  to  townspeople,  the 
sufierings  of  the  persecuted  saints  of  old,  it  would 
never  do  to  tell  them  that  ' '  they  wandered  about 
in  sheep-skins  and  goat-skins."  You  would  err 
as  much  as  the  Moravian  missionaries  did  who 
first  preached  of  the  fires  of  hell  to  the  Greenland- 
ers.  Those  Arctic  folk  were  immensely  pleased 
with  the  prospect  of  going  there,  and  the  mission- 
aries were  naturally  very  much  shocked  at  the 
result  of  their  own  preaching.  And  so  to  the 
Chinese  mind  the  wandering  about  in  sheep-skins 
and  goat-skins  does  not  at  all  imply  that  they 
were  "destitute,  afflicted,  tormented."  They 
would  very  much  like  to  be  persecuted  to  that 
degree. 

Many  of  the  Chinese  streets  are  devoted  to 
shops  provided  with  only  one  kind  of  goods.  In 
the  larger  towns  this  is  of  course  more  commonly 
the  case  than  in  a  comparatively  poor  town  like 


24      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

Amoy.  Canton,  for  instance,  has  its  Paternostei 
Row  filled  with  book-stores,  its  long  lines  of  shops 
of  jewelry,  crockery,  clothing,  and  bric-a-brac. 
Here  in  Amoy  we  also  have  a  Bootmaker  Street 
and  Basket  Street,  and  streets  almost  wholly  occu- 
pied with  rice-sellers.  But  the  street  along  which 
we  are  making  our  way  has  a  little  of  everything. 
The  shops  are  generally  of  the  rudest  order,  as  far 
as  construction  is  concerned.  A  large  proportion 
of  them  are  no  better  than  sheds  or  booths  at  a 
fair.  None  have  glass  windows.  Very  little 
glass  is  used  anywhere  in  China,  and  especially  in 
the  south,  where  the  heat  is  very  great  during  the 
larger  part  of  the  year.  The  shops  that  make 
some  degree  of  show  are  also  very  oddly  mixed 
up  with  those  of  the  commonest  order.  Here  is 
an  ironmonger's  store,  the  counter  next  the  road- 
way being  burdened  with  the  most  miscellaneous 
and  rusty  of  keys,  locks,  wire,  bolts,  hammers, 
and  other  tools;  while  pendent  chains  and  iron 
implements  hang  so  thickly  from  the  roof  in  front 
as  almost  to  darken  the  interior.  Next  is  a  hand- 
some silk  shop;  beautiful  skeins  of  every  shade  of 
color  lie  on  the  counter,  and  the  well-dressed 
assistants  are  exhibiting  materials  which  English 
ladies  would  delight  to  brood  over  for  hours. 
Here  we  have  a  carpenter's  workroom  stuffed  from 
floor  to  ceiling  with  tubs,  pails,  basins,  chairs,  and 


A  WALK  IN   THE  STREETS.  25 

beds,  all  painted  a  bright  red.  Next  to  this  is  a 
cap  factory  and  shop.  Half  of  the  employes  are 
selling  the  goods,  and  the  other  half  are  moulding 
little  black  satin  caps,  lined  with  red  flannel,  to 
fit  the  back  of  the  human  cranium.  The  same  is 
true  of  this  boot  shop;  making  and  selling  are 
going  forward  behind  the  same  counter.  But  in 
this  case  I  can  assure  you  by  painful  experience 
that  the  Chinese  artist  who  covers  the  human 
foot  takes  no  account  of  its  shape.  He  acts  as 
though  that  part  of  your  extremities  which  you 
treat  with  so  much  consideration  and  call  your 
"big  toe"  were  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  foot, 
with  two  small  toes  on  each  side  of  it.  Why 
the  Chinese  boot  is  made  with  a  narrow-pointed 
end  it  is  impossible  to  say.  Perhaps  the  idea  has 
never  occurred  to  the  makers  that  there  is  a  phys- 
iological reason  why  the  same  boot  should  not  be 
worn  with  equal  ease  on  either  foot.  But  so  it  is; 
tliev  do  not  distinwnish  between  ri^ht  and  left  in 
the  matter  of  boots,  and  a  week  of  suffering  must 
be  endured  before  the  boot  begins  to  adapt  itself 
to  the  foot. 

There  are  plenty  of  refreshment-rooms  on  both 
sides  of  the  way,  from  the  sweet-stuff  shop  to  the 
more  extensive  dining-room,  where  you  may  get 
a  heavy  meal  of  rice  and  sweet  potatoes,  with 
snacks  of  fish  and  other  tasty  dishes,  for  about 


26     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

three  halfpence.  In  Amoy  there  are  none  of  the 
splendid  tea-drinking  saloons  that  are  to  be  found 
in  Canton  and  many  other  large  cities.  There 
the  people  are  very  busy,  and  with  not  much  cash 
to  spare.  There  is  very  little  loitering  and  gos- 
siping over  the  tea-table  compared  with  the  richer 
towns.  But  at  every  few  steps  you  may  come  to 
an  eating-house  where  you  can  sit  on  a  form  and 
with  your  chopsticks  sweep  the  steaming  rice  from 
the  bowl  into  your  mouth.  There  is  abundance 
also  of  odds  and  ends  of  edibles  that  are  nameless 
to  us  and  shall  remain  so — messes  chiefly  fried  in 
nut-oil,  tasting  queer  and  smelling  worse.  The 
cooking-stove  is  lighted  at  the  street-door  instead 
of  in  a  kitchen  at  the  back  of  the  premises.  There 
is  no  chimney  to  carry  off  the  smoke,  but  neither 
the  neighbors  nor  the  passers-by  complain.  Look- 
ing down  from  the  hillside  upon  the  town  with  its 
houses  closely  packed  together  for  miles,  there  is 
no  such  thing  as  a  chimney  to  be  seen.  In  the 
private  houses  the  cooking  is  done  in  the  little 
court  around  which  the  rooms  are  built;  in  the 
business  premises,  if  there  is  no  back  yard,  it  is 
done  in  the  street.  The  Chinaman  is  a  wonder- 
ful creature  for  enduring  endless  nuisances,  re- 
garding them  as  things  that  are  and  have  been, 
and  therefore  still  must  be. 

We  could  scarcely  have  a  better  illustration  of 


'l^,.^i/e,;"".,//>-'^,^i/ 


A  CHINESE  PEEP-SHOW. 


AN    IDOL    PROCESSION. 


A  WALK   IN  THE  STREETS.  29 

that  last  remark  than  this  stage  which  has  been 
thrown  right  across  the  main  thoroughfare.  We 
must  either  find  our  way  round  by  a  side  street  or 
creep  under  the  stage  as  best  we  can.  Fancy 
what  it  would  be  for  a  band  of  itinerant  actors  to 
erect  a  theatre  in  Cheapside,  compelling  all  the 
traffic  to  turn  aside  for  a  whole  day;  and  then 
consider  that  the  street  we  are  in  bears  about  the 
same  relation  to  the  city  of  Amoy  as  Cheapside 
does  to  the  city  of  London !  Yet  the  people  do 
not  complain.  It  is  probable  that  not  one  in  a 
hundred  who  turn  aside  because  the  road  is  blocked 
thinks  that  such  a  nuisance  ought  not  to  be  al- 
lowed. It  is  much  more  likely  that  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  street  are  objects  of  envy  because  the 
theatre  is  brought  to  their  very  doors.  Some 
shopkeeper  in  the  street  has  invited  the  actors  at 
his  own  expense,  and  his  neighbors  are  much 
obliged  to  him  for  giving  them  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  the  play  and  hearing  the  drums  beat,  the 
bells  ring,  the  cymbals  clash,  and  the  actors  howl 
and  screech  without  the  trouble  of  leaving  their 
shop-doors. 

Now  that  we  have  got  away  from  the  din  of 
the  play  and  the  laughing  crowd  who  watched  us 
scrambling  under  the  stage  (even  the  actors  stopped 
to  see  how  we  fared),  let  me  introduce  you  to  a 
native  painter.     This  artist  has  made  some  small 


A  WALK   IN  TIIK  STREETS.  29 

that  last  remark  than  this  stage  which  has  been 
thrown  right  across  the  main  thoroughfare.  We 
must  either  find  our  way  round  by  a  side  street  or 
creep  under  the  stage  as  best  we  can.  Fancy 
what  it  would  be  for  a  band  of  itinerant  actors  to 
erect  a  theatre  in  Cheapside,  compelling  all  the 
traffic  to  turn  aside  for  a  whole  day;  and  then 
consider  that  the  street  we  are  in  bears  about  the 
same  relation  to  the  city  of  Amoy  as  Cheapside 
does  to  the  city  of  London !  Yet  the  people  do 
not  complain.  It  is  probable  that  not  one  in  a 
hundred  who  turn  aside  because  the  road  is  blocked 
thinks  that  such  a  nuisance  ought  not  to  be  al- 
lowed. It  is  much  more  likely  that  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  street  are  objects  of  envy  because  the 
theatre  is  brought  to  their  very  doors.  Some 
shopkeeper  in  the  street  has  invited  the  actors  at 
his  own  expense,  and  his  neighbors  are  much 
obliged  to  him  for  giving  them  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  the  play  and  hearing  the  drums  beat,  the 
bells  ring,  the  cymbals  clash,  and  the  actors  howl 
and  screech  without  the  trouble  of  leavincr  their 
shop-doors. 

Now  that  we  have  got  away  from  the  din  of 
the  play  and  the  laughing  crowd  who  watched  us 
scrambling  under  the  stage  (even  the  actors  stopped 
to  see  how  we  fared),  let  me  introduce  you  to  a 
native  painter.     This  artist  has  made  some  small 


30      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

degree  of  fame  in  the  town  for  the  rapidity  with 
which  he  draws  and  the  excellent  manner  in 
which  he  groups  his  figures.  To  our  eyes  they 
appear  either  hideous  or  ludicrous.  Even  the 
most  sedate  specimens  of  Chinese  art  seem  to 
have  been  intended  as  high  burlesque.  By  some 
mental  process  which  the  European  is  unable  to 
follow  the  Chinaman  sees  what  is  intended  to  be 
taught  by  the  picture,  which  offends  most  outra- 
geously against  all  laws  of  proportion,  perspec- 
tive, or  correctness  in  color.  If  you  tell  our  friend 
here  that  the  picture  is  not  accurate,  that  the 
bridge  formed  of  the  trunk  of  a  tree  joining  the 
sides  of  that  chasm  is  at  least  a  mile  long,  and 
that  the  mule  crossing  the  bridge  is  "doing  Blon- 
din"  at  a  height  of  no  less  than  a  thousand  feet, 
he  simply  does  not  understand  you;  or  if  you  sug- 
gest that  this  fierce  warrior,  who  is  brandishing 
his  sword  at  nothing,  ought  to  be  on  the  ground 
and  not  up  in  the  air,  you  only  become  an  object 
of  pity  to  the  artist  without  benefiting  him  at  all. 
These  scrolls,  covered  with  hideous  human  forms, 
daubed  with  flaring  colors,  are  considered  works 
of  art;  and  they  are  realh'-  very  curious  specimens 
of  ingenuity,  but  it  is  the  ingenuity  of  art  that  has 
become  insane  or  that  never  had  its  proper  senses. 
This  much  must,  however,  be  said  in  its  favor, 
that  the  Chinese  artist  manages  to  express  an  idea 


A   WALK   IN   THE   STREETS.  3I 

with  fewer  strokes  of  his  brush  than  would  have 
been  deemed  possible,  and  that  there  is  about 
many  of  his  productions  a  weird  kind  of  beauty 
which  suggests  that  a  very  little  instruction  would 
make  a  creditable  workman  of  him.  Most  of 
these  pictures  represent  some  mythical  or  idola- 
trous personage.  It  is  a  pity  that  in  the  case  of 
pictures  of  idols  it  should  be  considered  the  tri- 
umph of  skill  to  represent  them  as  the  impersona- 
tion of  all  that  is  hideous.  The  scrolls  are  to  be 
hung  up  in  the  reception-room  of  a  Chinese  house, 
and  incense  will  probably  be  burned  before  them 
by  the  pious  at  daybreak  and  at  dusk. 

Stop  a  moment  to  see  what  this  man  is  doing 
as  he  sits  at  the  doorstep.  He  is  producing  a 
truly  admirable  work  of  art.  Seated  on  a  low 
stool,  he  has  placed  on  his  knees  a  board  upon 
which  is  spread  a  piece  of  fine  linen,  and,  undis- 
turbed by  the  busy  traffic,  he  is  drawing  with  a 
camePs-hair  pencil  dipped  in  Indian  ink  patterns 
to  be  sold  to  persons  skilled  in  working  with  col- 
ored silks.  At  the  present  moment  he  is  tracing 
a  rectilinear  Greek  pattern  for  the  border  of  the 
skirt  of  a  lady's  gown.  He  uses  neither  rule  nor 
compass,  yet  every  stroke  is  produced  with  math- 
ematical accuracy.  Some  of  the  finished  pieces 
are  covered  with  flowers  and  wreaths  and  birds 
and  human  figures,  portrayed  with  a  delicacy  of 


32      ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

touch  which  would  do  credit  to  a  first-class  lith- 
ographic artist.  It  is  true  he  only  attempts  a 
regular  round  of  patterns  and  that  he  has  drawn 
each  of  them  hundreds  of  times,  but  still  the  work 
is  done  and  with  the  perfection  that  you  see. 

There  are  many  curious  scenes  to  be  witnessed 
occasionally  upon  this  road  and  on  almost  any 
other.  Indeed,  the  entertaining  sights  are  so 
numerous  that  to  describe  all  that  strikes  the 
new-comer  as  fantastic  would  take  a  volume. 
You  may  see  a  woman  deliberately  washing  her 
long  black  hair  in  a  wooden  bowl,  combing  it  out, 
and  doing  it  up  in  public,  without  so  much  as  a 
thought  that  any  one  would  think  she  should  do 
it  indoors.  Or  maybe  it  is  a  man  in  scanty  garb 
sitting  on  the  threshold  of  his  shop  washing  his 
long  legs  in  a  basin  of  hot  water.  Sometimes  you 
may  come  across  a  conjurer  performing  at  one  of 
the  tiny  clear  spaces  where  the  road  widens  for  a 
few  yards.  Close  by  this  spot  I  once  met  a  man 
who  seemed  to  have  a  knife  broken  off  short  in 
the  top  of  his  skull,  and  the  blood  apparently  was 
running  down  upon  his  clothes.  The  people 
stood  aside  with  what  I  thought  was  a  shocked 
aspect  as  he  solemnly  walked  on,  looking  to  nei- 
ther right  nor  left,  and  it  proved  to  be  only  a 
famous  conjurer  going  through  one  of  his  most 
remarkable  performances.     Occasionally  you  may 


CHINESE  STREET  BARBER. 


A  WALK   IN   THE   STREETS.  35 

happen  upon  one  of  the  eccentric  customs  of  idol- 
atry, and  see  a  new  house  consecrated  by  the  pres- 
ence of  the  black-faced  idol.  And  rarely  (for  it  is 
obviously  not  a  sight  to  be  seen  every  day)  you 
may  happen  upon  a  dentist  drawing  a  tooth. 
The  patient  sits  on  a  stool  or  doorstep,  while  a 
small  knot  of  men  stand  round  to  witness  the 
operation,  quite  innocent  of  the  humor  of  the 
whole  proceeding  from  the  observer's  point  of 
view. 

Among  the  every-day  sights  is  this  one  before 
us  now,  the  shaving  of  the  head  of  the  Celestial. 
At  first  it  appears  very  laughable  for  a  man  to  sit 
in  the  open  street  to  have  his  head  operated  upon; 
but  one  grows  hardened  to  this  as  to  so  many  more 
of  the  curious  customs  of  this  curious  land.  The 
barber  is  generally  both  a  peripatetic  and  a  philos- 
opher. He  carries  his  whole  stock  in  trade  upon 
his  shoulder-pole,  goes  round  to  see  his  regular 
customers,  and  tells  the  news  of  the  town  as  the 
fraternity  of  the  razor  commonly  do  among  us. 
His  apparatus  consists  of  two  sets  of  boxes  or 
drawers,  one  which  serves  as  till  for  cash,  place 
for  razors,  and  seat  for  the  person  to  be  shaved; 
the  other  being  a  stand  that  incloses  a  pan  of 
lighted  charcoal,  over  which  is  a  basin  of  warm 
water.  With  these  various  articles  hanging  from 
the  pole  he  makes  his  rounds,  taking  as  much 


36      AI^ONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

interest  in  tlie  heads  of  the  people  as  a  shoeblack 
does  in  their  feet.  Very  commonly  he  is  paid  in 
kind  instead  of  in  cash,  the  purveyors  in  perisha- 
bles handing  him  a  few  handfuls  of  rice  or  pota- 
toes or  oil  for  his  trouble  in  making  their  heads  to 
shine. 

You  had  better  stand  aside  a  moment  to  let 
this  procession  pass.  It  is  what  we  call  a  "man- 
darin procession,"  and  occupies  a  good  deal  of 
space.  The  absurdity  of  these  very  narrow  streets 
is  never  better  seen  than  when  a  chair  containing 
a  mandarin  or  a  bride  is  trying  to  turn  a  corner. 
Sometimes  a  counter  with  all  its  goods  has  to  be 
shifted  to  let  a  bulky  sedan  go  by.  His  Excel- 
lency who  occupies  the  chair  stares  with  a  dull 
and  supercilious  look  at  us  "foreign  devils," 
nor  does  he  imagine  for  a  moment  that  in  our 
eyes  he  looks  a  very  comical  figure  as  he  sits 
there,  a  weighty  lump  of  flesh,  unable  to  proceed 
because  his  chair  is  wider  than  is  kind  to  the 
shopkeepers.  Nor  are  his  attendants,  with  Davy- 
lamps  on  their  heads  by  way  of  hats,  in  the  least 
conscious  that  they  are  conspicuous.  They  are  as 
unwholesome  a  set  of  men  as  we  can  find,  hired 
probably  for  the  occasion,  many  of  them.  And 
they  beat  their  gongs  and  blow  their  flageolets 
with  an  irregular  series  of  squeaks  equal  to  half  a 
score  of  bagpipes,  sublimely  ignorant  of  the  fact 


A   WALK   IN   THE  vSTREETS.  37 

that  they  grieve  our  unaccustomed  foreign  ears. 
All  processions,  whether  of  marriages  or  funerals 
or  idols  or  mandarins,  are  accompanied  by  the 
same  inharmonious  sounds.  It  is  a  sore  trial  to 
the  missionary  to  have  one  of  these  too-common 
processions  pass  the  door  of  his  chapel  during  a 
service. 

We  must  not  omit  to  notice  these  bright-col- 
ored boards  that  hang  from  the  eaves  of  the  roof 
by  the  side  of  every  shop  with  any  pretension  to 
respectability.  Like  the  signs  of  many  English 
inns,  these  boards  face  the  passing  traveller,  so 
that  all  may  read  them  as  they  walk.  Very  sel- 
dom is  the  name  of  the  firm  put  upon  the  sign- 
board, but  some  high-sounding  epigram  or  sen- 
timent which  gives  a  designation  to  the  shop,  or 
a  brief  statement  of  the  calling  of  the  tenant. 
The  characters  inscribed  upon  them  are  frequently 
richly  gilt  or  of  some  brilliant  color  spotted  with 
gold.  All  are  varnished,  or  were  so  once.  The 
variety  of  colors  gives  the  street  a  gay  appearance, 
which  commends  itself  even  to  the  untutored  taste 
of  a  foreigner.  Some  of  the  inscriptions  are  amu- 
sing for  their  bombastic  style  or  for  the  quiet  sar- 
casm that  suggests  the  keenness  and  sagacity  of 
the  people.  Here  are  a  few  samples:  "The  ad- 
vantage of  dealing  here  is  mutual;"  "  Chattering 
and    gossiping    interfere    with    business;"     "No 

Rivpr  and  Koad  in  China.  " 


38      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  KUH-KIEN. 

credit  given — we  have  grown  wise  by  painful 
experience;"  "No  cheating  here;"  "Trade  re- 
volves like  a  wheel;"  "The  harmony  of  right 
principles;"  "  Vast-flowing  goodness;"  "An  im- 
mense flowing  stream."  While  noting  these 
signs  we  may  also  observe  that  over  almost  every 
door  are  four  characters,  WTitten  with  black  ink 
on  red  paper,  which  read,  "May  the  Five  Bless- 
ings descend  npon  this  house!"  Sometimes  the 
inscriptions  are  ludicrously  inappropriate,  as,  for 
instance,  that  one  over  the  opium-den,  "May 
health  and  happiness  rest  on  all  who  enter  here  !" 
Stay  a  moment  to  look  at  this  marine-store 
dealer's  counter.  No  better  specimen  of  a  cheap- 
jack  can  you  find  in  the  town.  All  sorts  of  sec- 
ond-hand goods — spectacles,  opium-pipes,  books, 
picture-scrolls,  boots,  clothing,  and  an  infinite 
variety  of  things.  One  day  as  I  was  passing  here 
I  saw  a  crowd  round  the  stall  examining  very 
intently  a  foreign  picture.  My  worthy  "shop- 
lord"  had  cut  from  a  German  illustrated  paper  a 
print  representing  German  soldiers  dancing  in  a 
tavern  with  some  fashionably-dressed  females. 
This  he  had  pasted  on  a  scroll  and  was  offering  it 
for  sale  among  his  curios.  The  crowd  saw  me 
looking  over  the  shoulders  of  those  in  front  of  me, 
and  at  once  several  voices  exclaimed,  "  That  rep- 
resents the  manners  of  your  ancestral  country." 


A  WALK  IN  THE  STREETS.  39 

It  is  not  the  only  case  by  a  good  many  in  which 
one  has  wished  that  pictnres  from  abroad  could 
pass  through  the  hands  of  a  censor  before  being 
distributed  among  the  Chinese.  I  wrote  on  one 
occasion  to  a  friend  in  England  to  send  me  any 
spare  copies  of  the  "Illustrated  London  News" 
and  "Graphic"  to  give  away  to  my  native  friends. 
It  happened  to  be  the  time  of  the  Turko-Russian 
campaign,  and  a  more  ghastly  set  of  pictures  of 
the  inhuman  brutality  of  war  than  those  which 
reached  me  it  would  be  difficult  to  find.  It  is 
needless  to  say  that  very  few  of  the  prints  found 
their  way  into  the  hands  of  my  Chinese  brethren. 
By  the  way,  while  we  are  just  finishing  our 
journey  I  will  tell  you  a  curious  fact  about  China- 
men and  foreign  pictures.  Those  who  are  unac- 
customed to  see  them  do  not,  as  a  rule,  understand 
them  at  all  at  first.  They  look  at  the  picture, 
but  see  no  meaning  in  it.  "Rob  Roy"  Mac- 
gregor,  in  his  book  on  "The  Jordan,"  tells  us  the 
same  thing  about  his  boatman.  The  man  dis- 
covered an  arm  and  a  leg  in  a  picture  of  a  statue 
at  intervals  of  hours  and  days.  So  a  Chinaman 
literally  searches  a  picture  for  single  facts  and 
ideas,  which  he  then  puts  together  piece  by  piece, 
until  at  length  he  forms  a  complete  conception  of 
what  the  purport  of  the  picture  is.  A  child  does 
the  same,  probably;  and  the  Chinaman  who  sees 


40      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

a  foreign  picture  for  the  first  time  looks  at  it  with 
the  eyes  of  a  grown-up  child.  When  I  had  dis- 
covered this  fact  I  tested  the  truth  of  it  many- 
times  by  showing  pictures  to  intelligent  friends. 
A  fine  sketch  of  the  interior  of  a  Turkish  man-of- 
war,  four  guns  served  by  about  ten  men,  and  the 
admiral  standing  in  the  foreground  with  his  hands 
resting  upon  his  sword,  was  put  down  as  "moun- 
tains;" and  a  large  and  elaborate  picture  of  the 
funeral  of  IVI.  Thiers  proceeding  through  the 
streets  of  Paris  was  said  to  be  "a  ship  at  sea." 
This  is  an  interesting  fact  for  psychologists. 

But  here  we  are  at  our  destination,  the  Lon- 
don Mission  Chapel  in  Kwan-a-lai  Street.  The 
first  time  we  take  such  a  stroll  through  a  Chinese 
city  it  is  quite  impossible  to  realize  that  these 
are  the  common  scenes  of  daily  life  in  every  town. 
It  is  like  a  troubled  dream  rather  than  stern  fact. 
The  vast  throngs  of  people,  the  din  of  daily  toil, 
the  yelling  of  street-hawkers,  the  ceaseless  shout 
of  burden-bearers — "Look  out;  stand  aside!" — 
the  stuSy  and  choking  smells,  varied  at  every 
few  steps,  but  never  for  the  better;  an  occasional 
procession  wnth  drums  and  fifes,  the  huge  and  un- 
wholesome pigs  and  the  mangy  dogs  that  are 
clearing  the  streets  of  rubbish,  the  firing  of  crack- 
ers, the  burning  of  incense,  the  smoke  of  cooking- 
stoves — these  are  the  things  that  assail  the  senses 


A  WALK  IN   THE   STREETS.  41 

as  one  threads  one's  way  through  the  intricacies 
of  a  Chinese  city.  Do  the  supporters  of  foreign 
missions  realize  that  it  is  through  such  scenes  as 
these  that  the  missionary  has  to  pass  every  Sun- 
day (for  that  day  is  to  the  Chinaman  the  same  as 
another)  on  his  way  to  conduct  divine  service  or 
to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  heathen  ? 

There  are  also,  as  I  suggested  above,  more 
unpleasant  things  than  can  be  related.  Yet  the 
people  live- and  thrive  and  are  happy.  They  are 
not  so  much  troubled  by  their  surroundings  as  we 
should  imagine,  because  they  were  born  into 
them.  Many  of  them  seem  incapable  of  care, 
though  it  is  equally  true  that  a  bitter  wail  goes 
up  to  the  throne  of  God  from  multitudes  of  suffer- 
ers in  body  and  mind  in  every  place.  In  no  land 
are  comedy  and  tragedy  nearer  together.  The 
colors  of  the  kaleidoscope  do  not  change  as  rap- 
idly as  do  the  aspects  of  Chinese  life  from  gay  to 
grave  and  back  again.  But  as  we  meet  them 
here  and  there  it  seems  as  though  many  of  them 
knew  no  other  care  than  that  one  which  is  born 
in  every  Chinaman  and  ingrained  in  his  very 
soul,  namely,  how  to  get  more  cash.  For  this 
they  live.  They  talk  and  think  only  cash.  Nine- 
tenths  of  all  that  clatter  of  voices  we  heard  in  the 
joss-house,  in  the  shops,  and  in  the  street  was 
about  cash.    If  they  are  given  to  dreaming,  it  must 


42      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

be  largely  about  cash.  The  struggle  for  existence 
is  so  severe  that  cash  is  the  one  inexhaustible  topic 
that  employs  the  tongue  of  all.  Yet  if  anything 
could  persuade  them  of  the  political  and  social 
economy  of  spending  cash  upon  their  streets  to  im- 
prove them,  or  if  Chinese  towns  could  be  purged 
"so  as  by  fire,"  as  London,  Yeddo,  and  many 
another  city  has  been,  and  rebuilt  upon  a  more 
liberal  plan,  it  would  be  a  boon  which  would 
make  China  a  richer  and  more  wholesome  land. 


TRAVELLING   BY  ROAD  AND  RIVER.  43 

CHAPTER  II. 

TRAVELLING  BY  ROAD  AND  RIVER. 

One  of  the  early  Roman  governors  of  Britain 
was  asked,  "What  is  most  needed  in  order  to  ren- 
der the  newly-conquered  island  a  profitable  colo- 
ny?" "Good  roads,"  was  the  reply.  "And  the 
second?"  "More  roads."  "And  the  third?" 
"More  roads  still."  That  he  and  his  successors 
acted  upon  this  plan  in  developing  the  resources 
of  the  little  island  which  we  call  Great  Britain  we 
know  from  history  and  the  many  Roman  roads 
that  abound  still.  But  the  Chinese  not  only  are 
careless  of  this  principle  of  political  economy,  but 
are  oblivious  of  the  fact  that  a  straight  line  is  the 
shortest  cut.  As  far  as  roads  are  concerned  they 
are  as  indifferent  to  the  promotion  of  trade  as  to 
the  comfort  of  their  limbs. 

Samuel  Wells  Williams,  in  his  "  Middle  King-- 
dom,"  remarks  that  "the  public  roads,  in  a  coun- 
try so  well  provided  with  navigable  streams,  are 
of  minor  consequence,  but  these  media  of  travel 
have  by  no  means  been  neglected."  He  then 
goes  on  to  quote  De  Guignes,  who  praises  in 
hearty  terms  the  condition  of  the  roads  in  many 


44      ALONG   RIVER  AND   ROAD   IN   FUH-KIEN. 

jjarts  of  North  China.  Other  writers  have  also 
testified  that  in  some  parts  of  the  north  good  broad 
roads  are  found,  shaded  with  trees  and  fairly  well 
attended  to.  These,  however,  are  only  the  great 
main  thoroughfares,  and  are  in  a  ratio  to  the  bad 
of  less  than  one  to  a  hundred. 

It  is  very  difficult  for  any  one  who  has  not 
travelled  in  an  Oriental  country  to  conceive  the 
utter  state  of  disorganization  of  these  lines  of  com- 
munication, which  we  think  so  essential  to  our 
prosperity  and  ease.  In  our  description  of  the 
streets  of  a  city  we  had  occasion  to  inform  the 
reader  that  comparatively  seldom  is  a  street  found 
wider  than  from  five  to  fifteen  feet.  Outside  the 
town  matters  are  worse.  There  it  is  often  diffi- 
cult to  find  any  road  at  all.  By  instinct,  or  by  the 
sense  of  direction,  one  often  happens  upon  the 
right  path,  but  it  is  always  best  to  ask  and  to 
seek  diligently  for  it. 

Between  great  cities  there  are  the  regular  high- 
ways, which  go  by  the  name  of  ' '  great  roads. ' ' 
These  are  kept  in  moderate  repair,  and  sometimes 
exceed  six  feet  in  width.  If,  however,  you  should 
turn  off  one  of  them,  it  becomes  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  have  a  guide.  Half  a  day's  journey  from 
Amoy  is  the  "great  road,"  which  is  said  to  run 
as  nearly  straight  as  possible  from  Peking  to  Can- 
ton.   The  people  of  the  locality  seemed  very  proud 


TRAVELLING   BY  ROAD  AND  RIVER.  45 

of  the  fact.  But  in  walking  along  it,  as  we  saw 
it,  no  consecutive  thirty  yards  are  of  the  same 
description.  Now  it  is  formed  of  a  loose  shingle, 
and  now  it  is  paved;  here  it  runs  on  top  of  a  mud- 
bank,  and  there  it  descends  into  a  narrow  ditch. 
In  hilly  or  agricultural  districts  the  roads  take 
care  of  themselves.  It  is  nobody's  business  to 
make  or  mend  them.  One  stands  aghast  at  what 
seems  the  audacity  of  the  farmer  in  interfering 
with  the  public  ways.  He  will  plough  them  up 
and  allow  the  public  to  tread  them  hard  again, 
apparently  hoping  they  may  be  narrowed  by  the 
process;  or  he  will  find  it  convenient  to  make  a 
pond  for  irrigating  purposes  right  where  the  path 
runs,  and  henceforth,  until  some  new  idea  seizes 
him,  the  public  must  walk  round  his  pond.  Med- 
dlers with  the  roads  never  seem  to  suffer  from 
prick  of  conscience,  and  while  grumbling  at  them 
is  endless,  I  do  not  remember  ever  to  have  heard 
it  said  that  any  public  or  private  body  should  im- 
prove them.  It  fact,  their  false  notions  of  econ- 
omy would  probably  induce  them  to  believe  that 
to  make  a  broad  path  would  be  utterly  wasteful 
of  good  land.  That,  at  any  rate,  is  what  they 
say  in  regard  to  the  broad  roads  made  by  Euro- 
peans on  certain  lands  possessed  or  rented  by 
them. 

This  being  the  condition  of  things  throughout 


46      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

the  country  south  of  the  Yang-tsze-kiang,  even  if 
there  were  wheeled  vehicles  they  would  be  use- 
less. Not  even  the  wheelbarrow  could  be  trun- 
dled over  the  many  obstructions  that  constantly 
occur.  The  strong  thews  and  muscles  of  the  coo- 
lie class  of  bearers  must  perforce  do  all  the  work 
that  with  us  falls  to  the  lot  of  the  beast  of  burden 
or  the  steam-engine. 

In  the  far  north  the  modes  of  conveyance  dif- 
fer altogether  from  those  in  the  south.  In  Peking 
multitudes  of  camels  are  to  be  seen  doing  a  large 
share  of  the  goods  traffic  between  the  capital  and 
Mongolia  and  ]\Ianchuria.  The  greater  part  of 
the  tea  that  reaches  Russia  from  China  goes  as  far 
as  Thibet  on  the  backs  of  camels.  Heavy  two- 
wheeled  wagons,  drawn  by  bullocks,  are  met  with 
in  all  directions  on  such  roads  as  are  wdde  enough 
for  them.  Horses  and  mules  are  also  extensively 
employed. 

Some  very  curious  sights  are  seen  on  these  car- 
riage roads.  The  Chinaman  is  a  being  decidedly 
utilitarian  in  his  wavs  of  thinkino:  and  actins;. 
He  scorns  appearances  if  he  can  by  any  means 
attain  his  end,  which  is  to  secure  as  large  a  meas- 
ure of  draught-power  with  as  little  trouble  to  him- 
self as  may  be.  A  bullock  and  a  donkey  in  the 
shafts,  or  driven  tandem;  a  large  horse  and  a  small 
mule  yoked  together;  or  even,  as  some  say,  a  man 


TRAVELLING   BY  ROAD  AND  RIVER.  49 

or  woman  harnessed  with  an  ass,  arc  among  the 
arrangements  that  astonish  the  traveller  from  the 
West.  Wheelbarrows  abound,  and  the  labor  of 
propulsion  is  assisted,  if  the  wind  be  favorable,  by 
the  hoisting  of  a  sail,  or,  if  not,  by  attaching  a 
mule  or  two  in  front.  Could  the  reader  witness 
such  a  scene  as  this  and  keep  his  gravity  ?  two 
pompous  Chinese  gentlemen,  elegantly  attired, 
sitting  on  a  barrow,  thumping  along  the  uneven 
road,  their  round  cheeks  trembling  like  a  jelly, 
while  two  panting  and  perspiring  coolies  endeav- 
or to  steady  the  handles  of  the  machine  and  a 
melancholy  mule  drags  it  along  by  means  of  a 
rope.  A  hundred  such  strange  sights  may  be  seen 
in  the  day. 

In  these  northerly  parts  the  most  common  con- 
veyance is  the  one-horse  cart,  the  multiform  in- 
conveniences of  which  it  w^ould  take  too  long  to 
relate.  To  begin  with,  it  has  no  springs  what- 
ever, and  the  solid  wheels  are  fixed  to  the  short 
axletrees.  A  small  piece  of  water-proof  cloth  is 
spread  upon  a  bamboo  frame  as  a  protection  from 
the  weather,  but  raised  so  little  above  the  cart 
that  the  traveller  can  only  sit  up  or  lie  down. 
The  jolting  is  indescribably  annoying  and  pain- 
ful. Sir  John  Davis  tells  us  that  the  servant  of  a 
British  ambassador  actually  suffered  concussion 
of  the  brain  in  one  of  these  instruments  of  torture, 


50      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

because,  being  unwell,  he  could  not  help  lying 
down  in  the  bottom  of  the  cart.  The  only  way 
to  endure  the  pain  of  a  long  journey  is  to  provide 
one's  self  with  a  large  quantity  of  bedding  with 
which  to  moderate  the  shocks.  Jolting  over  lit- 
tle hillocks  of  hard  mud  or  dropping  suddenly 
into  a  hole,  sinking  u^^  to  the  axle  in  the  deep 
ruts  and  bogs  in  wet  weather  or  blinded  with  the 
finest  of  dust  when  it  is  dry — such  is  the  average 
experience  of  the  traveller  in  a  Chinese  cart. 

The  city  of  Peking,  however,  can  boast  of 
hackney-coaches.  The  streets  of  the  capital  are 
moderately  wide,  affording  space  for  these  curious 
two-wheeled  cabs,  or  garrics.  It  is  true  they  have 
no  springs,  and  that  even  a  short  journey  is  a  pain- 
ful experience  to  unaccustomed  limbs ;  but  to 
make  up  for  this  slight  deficiency  in  point  of  com- 
fort they  are  elegantly  fitted  inside  with  a  lining 
and  blinds  of  green- or  red  silk.  Besides,  you  can 
hire  coach,  horse,  and  man  for  a  whole  day  for 
one  shilling  and  eightpence!  There  are  compar- 
atively few  sedan-chairs  in  Peking. 

The  most  popular  vehicle  in  China  just  now 
is  the  jinriksha^  which  abounds  in  the  streets  of 
the  splendid  foreign  settlement  in  Shanghai  and 
the  English  colony  of  Hong-Kong.  It  is  a  small 
gig,  to  seat  either  one  or  two  persons,  and  drawn 
by  a  man,  whence  it  has  been  humorously  called 


TRAVELLING   BY  ROAD  AND  RIVER.  5I 

the  "Pullman  car."  That  small  jest  is,  it  may 
be  added,  an  accurate  translation  of  the  name  of 
the  vehicle;  for  the  three  syllables  are 7/;/,  man; 
rik^  strength  ;  sJia^  carriage.  The  jinriksJia  was 
introduced  into  China  from  Japan.  A  bar  unites 
the  ends  of  the  shafts,  and  taking  hold  of  this  the 
coolie  holds  it  to  his  chest  and  runs  with  the  little 
craft  at  a  speed  of  six  miles  an  hour.  On  a  cool 
evening  scores  of  these  pretty  carriages  are  trying 
to  overtake  one  another  along  the  broad  and  shady 
Bund,  or  river-face,  in  Shanghai.  The  misfor- 
tune is  that  in  consequence  of  the  badness  of  na- 
tive roads  the  jinriksha  is  of  no  use  so  soon  as  it 
leaves  the  American,  English,  or  French  "con- 
cessions." Three  thousand  of  them  are  licensed 
for  hire  in  the  foreign  city  of  Shanghai.  One  can 
ride  for  an  hour  for  the  small  sum  of  fivepence. 

In  these  central  districts  of  China  the  most 
common  vehicle  is  the  wheelbarrow,  far  m.ore 
common  than  carts  in  the  north  or  sedan-chairs 
in  the  south.  It  is  used  by  travellers  and  for  the 
transport  of  goods.  On  a  perfectly  level  road  or 
pavement  the  wheelbarrow  is  rather  an  agreeable 
carriage;  but  let  the  road  be  in  any  degree  rough, 
and  the  barrow  becomes  the  most  excruciating 
machine  ever  invented  for  the  torture  of  travel- 
lers. 

The  wheel  is  about  three  feet  in  diameter,  and 


52      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

is  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  barrow,  so  that  the 
sitter  is  directly  over  the  axle.  The  driver  has  no 
other  burden  than  to  propel  and  steady  the  ma- 
chine. A  wooden  frame,  covering  the  iipi^er  part 
of  the  wheel,  serves  as  an  arm-rest.  From  this 
the  seat  projects  on  each  side  over  the  axles.  If 
there  is  only  one  passenger  the  barrow  must  be 
tilted  a  little  on  one  side.  The  rider  places  one 
foot  on  a  bar  forming  part  of  the  frame,  while  the 
other  hangs  down  upon  a  stirrup  made  of  rope. 
It  need  not  be  said  that  to  run  over  a  brick  or 
into  a  hole  eight  or  ten  inches  deep  or  upon  well- 
worn  paving-stones  is  anything  but  conducive  to 
quiet  reflection  or  peace  of  mind.  The  writer  has 
many  a  painful  reminiscence  of  aching  joints  and 
bruises  gotten  on  a  barrow. 

The  elegant  and  dignified  and  agreeable  vehi- 
cle of  China  belongs  peculiarly  to  the  south.  It 
is  the  sedan-chair.  The  comfort  of  this  convey- 
ance has  been  brought  as  nearly  to  perfection  as 
circumstances  will  allow.  In  cities  where  many 
wealthy  men  reside  sedans  are  often  seen  which 
are  real  works  of  art.  The  seat  is  luxuriously 
cushioned  and  padded,  lined  with  blue  or  crimson 
satin.  Comfortable  elbow-rests,  a  shelf  behind 
for  a  large  package,  and  another  in  front  for  pipe 
or  book  or  small  parcel;  windows  of  glass  with 
silk  blinds,  and  the  exterior  of  blue  cloth,  with 


W<^"^^^- 


TRAVELLING   BY   ROAD  AND   RIVER.  55 

embroidered  ornaments  and  tassels  hanging  from 
the  top  all  round  the  four  sides.  What  more  ele- 
gant and  commodious  vehicle  can  you  wish  for 
than  that  ?  Unfortunately,  these  are  not  for  pub- 
lic hire.  The  best  chairs  for  hire  are  fairly  com- 
fortable, but  it  is  well  to  carry  a  cushion  for  the 
seat  and  back.  Missionaries  generally  use  their 
light  travelling  mattress  for  this  purpose.  Occa- 
sionally the  chair-bearer  will  complain  of  the 
slight  addition  to  the  weight,  but  not  often.  A 
very  small  amount  of  luggage  is  also  allowed  in 
the  chair.  How  the  poor  fellows  manage  to  carry 
the  chair  and  its  occupant  for  twenty  miles  it  is 
hard  to  imagine.  The  chair  itself  often  weighs 
as  much  as  40  lbs.,  and  one  may  presume  that  the 
average  weight  of  adult  men  is  140  lbs.,  while  the 
latter  is  doubtless  very  frequently  exceeded.  Yet 
with  the  pressure  of  100  lbs.  upon  the  shoulders 
of  each  man  they  struggle  more  or  less  good-hu- 
moredly  for  a  whole  day. 

From  the  better  class  of  sedan  there  is  a  de- 
scending scale  to  the  common  bamboo  frame, 
called  a  "mountain-chair."  It  consists  of  only 
two  poles,  with  a  seat  between  them,  and  a  wood- 
en stirrup  for  the  feet.  I  weighed  one  of  these 
machines  and  found  it  only  16  lbs.  To  keep  off 
the  sun  and  the  wet  a  piece  of  oil-cloth  is  spread 
over  a   frame  of  four   split   sticks.      When   the 


56      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

weather  is  fine  and  mild  this  is  a  luxurious  mode 
of  conveyance  in  a  country  where  few  persons  are 
in  a  hurry,  and  twenty  miles  in  a  day  is  reckoned 
rapid  travelling.  In  cold,  wet,  and  windy  weath- 
er the  "mountain-chair"  may  be  described  mild- 
ly as  an  offence. 

The  number  of  bearers  of  any  one  chair  is 
regulated  by  law.  The  emperor  alone  is  allowed 
sixteen,  mandarins  of  the  highest  rank  eight,  les- 
ser dignitaries  four,  and  a  civilian  two  or  three, 
according  as  the  weight  of  his  "honorable  body  " 
may  render  needful.  But  however  much  he  may 
exceed  ordinary  proportions,  if  he  is  of  common, 
unofficial  clay,  not  more  than  three  may  carry 
him.  He  must  be  content  to  pay  heavily,  as  he 
weighs  heavily. 

Chair-bearers  belong  to  the  very  lowest  class 
of  society.  In  the  Fuh-kien  province,  at  least,  to 
be  a  chair-bearer  is  regarded  as  equivalent  to  be- 
ing a  long  way  down  in  the  social  scale.  For  the 
most  part  they  are  men  who  pay  little  or  no  re- 
gard to  the  amenities  of  social  intercourse  or  the 
ties  of  family  life.  Those  on  the  main  roads  have 
seldom  any  settled  homes.  At  certain  seasons 
they  can  make  money  fast.  When  the  provincial 
examinations  are  being  held  in  a  neighboring 
town  or  at  the  time  of  a  fair  or  idolatrous  feast, 
many  well-to-do  people  are  moving  to  and  fro. 


TRAVELLING   BY  ROAD  AND   RIVER.  57 

and  the  price  of  fares  is  high.  But  they  live  from 
hand  to  mouth,  and  spend  their  surplus  cash  in 
opium-smoking  and  debauchery. 

Notwithstanding  all  their  bad  ways  the  chair- 
bearers  are  a  pleasant  set  of  men  to  deal  with,  if 
they  are  only  treated  with  a  fair  degree  of  consid- 
eration and  good-humor.  There  is  nothing  they 
resent  so  much  as  a  cantankerous  fare,  especially 
if  he  happens  to  be  a  foreigner.  Then  all  their 
essentially  republican  sentiments  come  to  the 
front,  and  they  let  him  know  that  one  man  is  as 
good  as  another  in  their  opinion.  The  satirical 
fun  they  lavish  upon  him  in  his  hearing  to  the 
bearers  of  a  passing  chair  or  at  an  eating-house  is 
as  fine  as  anything  ever  jDroduced  by  a  London 
"cabby."  Poor  fellows!  full  of  quaint  humor, 
in  fair  weather  and  full  work  and  health  so  light- 
hearted  and  gay,  and  yet  fallen  so  low  in  morals 
and  public  esteem,  toiling  so  hard  for  the  cash 
they  spend  so  recklessly,  one  cannot  help  laugh- 
ing at  and  with  them,  but  with  a  feeling  more  of 
pity  than  of  pleasure. 

One  of  the  most  amusing  adventures  I  ever 
had  with  chair-bearers  was  the  following,  I  hired 
two  men  to  carry  me  in  a  *'  mountain-chair"  to  a 
district  city  about  eighteen  miles  off.  Our  route 
lay  over  some  very  rough  granite  hills  to  a  tiny 
village,  where  I  was  to  meet  some  Christian  breth- 


58      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUII-KIEN. 

ren  for  an  hour  or  two.  Reaching  this  place 
about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  my  friends,  who 
wished  to  do  me  honor,  extended  their  favors  to 
my  hired  men  and  unfortunately  brought  out  the 
samsJwo^  a  strong  liquor  generally  reserved  for 
feasts  and  special  occasions.  Of  this  I  was  quite 
unaware  when  I  left  the  village.  We  had  not 
gone  far  before  one  of  the  men  showed  signs  of 
collapse.  Two  or  three  times  he  fell  on  his  knees, 
but  always  declared  there  was  nothing  the  matter 
with  him.  Another  mile,  and  both  had  suc- 
cumbed. We  were  now  upon  a  ridge  of  hills,  and 
before  us  was  a  wide,  sandy  plain,  stretching 
along  for  several  miles  with  nothing  to  break  the 
line  of  view.  Pausing  here  until  one  of  the  men 
had  partially  recovered,  I  made  him  take  the  chair 
upon  his  back  and  follow  me,  and  the  other  I 
stuck  up  against  a  rock  to  fend  for  himself.  My 
companion's  endeavor  to  carry  that  chair  proper- 
ly would  have  made  the  most  sober  temperance 
lecturer  lose  his  gravity.  By  the  time  we  reached 
an  eating-house  on  the  farther  side  of  the  plain 
we  saw  No.  2  on  the  far  horizon,  doing  his  utmost 
to  make  up  for  lost  time,  and  an  hour  sufficed  to 
bring  him  up  moderately  sober.  When  we  ar- 
rived at  the  city  T  paid  them  their  stipulated  fare, 
contenting  myself  with  adding  a  little  teetotal  dis- 
course; but  they  amazed  me  by  asking  for  more. 


TRAVELLING   BY  ROAD  AND   RIVER.  59 

"What!"  I  said,  "you  dare  to  ask  an  extra 
fee  after  compelling  me  to  walk  for  miles  and 
delaying  me  for  several  hours!"  "But  think, 
teacher,"  one  of  them  said  with  a  broad  grin, 
' '  think  what  a  trouble  we  have  had  to  get  you 
along !" 

There  is  no  regular  tariff  for  chairs  on  any 
road.  One  of  the  first  things  the  traveller  has  to 
learn  is  how  to  hire  a  chair  and  baggage-men  so 
as  not  to  pay  very  much  more  than  the  recog- 
nized rate.  The  Chinaman  looks  upon  a  for- 
eigner as  lawful  prey,  and  as  the  victim  does  not 
make  his  appearance  every  day,  advantage  must 
be  taken  of  the  present  opportimity.  The  process 
is  very  properly  called  "  squeezing."  They  seem 
to  imagine  the  foreigner  is  loaded  with  dollars. 
When  he  comes  on  the  scene  the  name  of  money 
becomes  kim  (silver)  rather  than  chien  (bronze 
cash).  Times  without  number  we  have  heard 
passers-by  on  road  and  river  congratulate  our  men 
on  the  "good  job"  they  have  on  hand,  feeling 
sure  the  stranger  could  not  have  escaped  at  least 
a  small  amount  of  "  squeezing,"  "  Ha  !  Lo-ah  ! 
Ten  dollars  that  job?"  It  is  probably  not  more 
than  one  or  two  dollars;  but  our  men  laugh  back 
the  jest,  "It  has  a  shadow — it  is  real — forty  dol- 
lars, you  mean!"  As  a  rule,  missionaries  expect 
to  pay  half  as  much  again  as  a  native  gentleman. 


6o      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

The  plan  is  a  wise  one,  for  the  extra  sum  is  very 
small,  and  the  hard-working  coolies  keep  on  good 
terms  with  us.  We  have  known  foreio^n  mer- 
chants  pay  eight  and  ten  times  the  proper  fare; 
but  the  Chinese  do  not  respect  them  any  more  for 
their  reckless  expenditure  and  are  only  demoral- 
ized by  it.* 

It  is  not  always  easy  to  secure  chair-bearers 
even  by  offering  an  extra  gratuity.  I  was  travel- 
ling in  a  region  through  which  Europeans  passed 
only  once  or  twice  a  year,  and  wishing  to  walk  a 
good  deal,  was  hiring  as  best  I  could  for  a  few 
miles  now  and  then.  I  arrived  at  mid-day  at  a 
rice-shop  on  the  top  of  a  high  hill,  and  while  dis- 
cussing my  dinner  of  rice  and  peanuts  announced 
to  the  crowd  of  chattering  Celestials  that  it  would 
harmonize  with  my  wishes  if  I  could  have  a  chair 
to  the  next  stage,  distant  six  miles.  Ten  chairs 
immediately  blocked  up  all  available  space  and 
many  voices  pleaded  for  the  favor  of  my  patron- 
age. Which  chair  would  I  have  ?  I  said  I  would 
have  that  chair  for  riding  in  which  I  should  have 

*  In  the  journals  of  the  late  Mr.  Margery,  who  was  so  unfortu- 
nately murdered  in  Yunnan  in  1S75,  there  is  a  note  of  the  reason 
for  his  careful  expenditure  in  chair-hiring  in  country  places.  He 
says  he  was  "thinking  of  the  missionaries  who  might  travel  the 
same  road  after  him,  and  was  afraid  of  creating  a  precedent  " 
which  might  press  heavily  on  their  slender  purses.  It  was  a  little 
act  of  consideration  which  reveals  the  character  of  the  man  and 
explains  the  universal  esteem  in  which  he  was  held. 


TRAVELLING  BY  ROAD  AND  RIVER.  6l 

to  pay  two   hundred  cash — say,  eighteenpence. 
Every  face  changed  to  a  look  of  incredulity  at  my 
innocence,  injury  at  my  audacity,  and  defiance  at 
my  expectations.      ' '  Two  hundred  cash  indeed  ! 
The  thing  could  not  be  done.     There  was  not  a 
bearer   in   the    whole   place   who   might,    could, 
would,  or  should  stir  a  foot  on  the  road  until  five 
hundred  cash  was  promised."      When  they  had 
exhausted  their  expressions  of  astonishment  and 
the  play  was  almost  acted  out,   I  said  quietly, 
"Look  here,  friends,  I  am  not  a  stranger  to  your 
customs.     You  think  I  ought  to  offer  one  hundred 
cash,  and  you  demand  five  hundred,  and  then  we 
are  to  waste  half  an  hour  in  chaffering  about  it, 
you  gradually  lowering  your  figure  and  I  raising 
mine,  until  at  last  we  settle  that  the  fare  shall  be 
there  hundred  or   thereabout.      But   our   foreign 
fashion  is  different.      I  am  not  going  to  haggle 
with  you  about   the  price.      Your  own    people 
would  never  think  of  paying  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty;   I  offer  two  hundred;  who  will 
go?"     No,  not  one  of  them.     But  when  they  see 
me  unexcited  and  firm,  one  man  suggests  that 
perhaps  he  was  mistaken  in  saying  the  distance 
was  ten  miles,  and  he  is  willing  to  accept  four 
hundred  and  fifty.     For  three-quarters  of  an  hour 
the  discussion  breaks  out  afresh  at  intervals,  while 
my  baggage-bearer  takes  his  mid-day  nap.     At 


62      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

length  we  get  up  to  walk,  begging  them  to  be 
seated  in  their  own  chairs.  When  they  see  me 
and  my  man  fairly  started,  many  voices  clamor 
aloud,  "Teacher,  three  hundred!"  "No;  I  have 
said  it — two  hundred."  They  make  a  show  of 
removing  the  chairs,  murmuring,  "The  man  is 
hard."  By  the  time  we  are  clear  of  the  village 
and  beeinning  to  descend  the  hill  one  of  them 
rushes  forward,  screaming  frantically,  ' '  Teacher, 
two  hundred  and  eighty!"  "  No;  two  hundred." 
"Two  hundred  and  fifty!"  I  do  not  return  an 
answer,  but  proceed  some  three  hundred  yards, 
when  from  the  top  of  the  hill  comes  a  shout, 
"Teacher,  teacher,  stop!  two  hundred  and  twen- 
ty." I  motion  with  my  hands  a  sign  of  refusal 
and  go  on.  But  presently  my  servant  calls  to  me 
that  two  men  are  running  down  hill  with  a  chair. 
I  wait  till  they  come  and  then  quietly  ask,  "Two 
hundred?"  "  All  right,  teacher;  two  hundred." 
Again  they  sigh,  "This  man  is  hard."  Where- 
upon I  take  my  seat,  and  there  are  no  recrimina- 
tions or  apologies  on  either  side. 

When  chair-bearers  are  hired  for  a  trip  which 
will  extend  to  several  days  or  weeks,  it  is  very 
advisable  to  have  an  agreement  drawn  up  in  due 
form  and  stamped  with  an  official  seal.  Such  a 
document  can  be  had  for  the  merest  trifle  and 
will  prevent  a  great  deal  of  possible  trouble.     It 


TRAVELLING   BY  ROAD  AND   RIVER.  63 

is  no  slight  ordeal  to  be  surrounded  by  a  set  of 
Chinese  coolies  frenzied  with  assumed  indigna- 
tion at  the  shortcomings  of  the  "foreign  guest." 
A  great  deal  of  patience  is  needed  by  the  travel- 
ler, not  merely  because  so  much  time  is  exhausted 
on  the  journey,  but  as  the  result  of  unavoidable 
incidents  and  accidents.  Quite  unconsciously  one 
falls  into  the  habit  of  talking  of  distance  not  by 
long  measure,  but  by  time  measure.  Such  and 
such  a  town  is  so  many  hours  or  days  away.  On 
well-known  routes  we  can  generally  calculate  the 
length  of  the  journey  to  an  hour,  but  when  it 
comes  to  a  week  or  so  we  may  find  ourselves 
wrong  by  a  whole  day.  The  opportunity  of  a 
clean  location  for  a  night  is  a  most  material  fac- 
tor in  deciding  whether  a  single  day's  trip  is  long 
or  short. 

From  what  we  have  said  it  will  be  evident 
that  the  traveller  in  China  has  several  rules  to 
learn,  very  simple,  yet  affecting  his  peace  of  mind 
to  a  serious  degree  ;  such  as,  never  be  in  a  hurry; 
get  along  as  quickly  as  you  can,  but  remember 
that  to  "hasten  slowly"  is  the  best  policy  in  a 
sedan-chair;  never  bring  railing  accusations 
against  the  roads,  or  if  you  do,  make  a  jest  of 
their  defects,  for  there  they  are;  you  cannot  im- 
prove them,  and  the  Chinese  will  not.  Above 
all,  never  get  out  of  temper,  for  that  will  only 


64      ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

puzzle  the  Chinaman  and  distress  yourself.  When 
you  have  learned  to  accept  with  composure  the 
many  deficiencies  of  roads,  chairs,  baggage-men, 
chair-bearers,  eating-houses,  inns,  and  weather, 
you  will  have  advanced  a  long  way  towards  per- 
fection. 

The  subject  changes  completely  when  we  turn 
from  speaking  of  travelling  by  land  to  travelling 
by  water.  There  is  no  other  country  in  the  world 
that  possesses  such  magnificent  waterways  as  Chi- 
na. Not  only  has  it  rivers  that  run  their  steady 
course  for  upwards  of  a  thousand  miles,  like  that 
"  Son-of-the-Sea,"  the  Yang-tsze-kiang,  but  the 
whole  land  is  covered  with  a  network  of  canals 
and  water-courses  which  connect  town  with  town 
and  afford  at  the  same  time  ample  supplies  for  ir- 
rigation of  the  paddy-fields.  It  is  probably  true 
that  there  are  daily  as  many  travellers  by  water 
as  by  land.  Even  the  large  towns  are  veined 
with  channels  which  provide  a  transit  route  for 
goods  and  passengers.  In  this  connection  should 
be  mentioned  the  Grand  Canal,  the  most  useful 
public  work  the  Chinese  ever  constructed,  which 
for  650  miles  unites  countless  towns  and  villages 
that,  but  for  its  friendly  aid,  would  be  strangers 
to  one  another.  The  many  great  lakes,  with  the 
rivers  which  run  into  them,  are  also  means  of 
bringing  distant  places  near.     Too  frequently  the 


TRAVELLING  BY  ROAD  AND  RIVER.  67 

rivers,  which  look  very  fine  after  a  spell  of  wet 
weather,  arc  found  difficult  of  navigation  after 
drought.  The  undredged  detritus  of  millen- 
niums makes  them  more  treacherous  year  by 
year. 

The  Chinese  have  a  system  of  conveyance  by 
means  of  public  "passage-boats"  as  complete  as 
any  of  our  own.  At  regular  hours,  or  at  the  suit- 
able state  of  the  tide,  heavy  junks  loaded  with 
passengers  come  and  go  upon  the  bays,  rivers, 
and  creeks.  The  jetties  are  crowded  with  friends 
and  idlers  who  witness  the  departure  and  arrival 
of  the  boats.  The  smallness  of  the  fare  is  some- 
times almost  incredible,  ten  cash  (about  one  cent) 
sufficing  for  thirty  or  forty  miles. 

At  such  a  fare  one  must  not  expect  to  have  the 
whole  deck  to  one's  self  or  to  be  accommodated 
in  a  saloon  cabin.  The  desirability  of  life-insu- 
rance also  suggests  itself  to  the  practical  foreign 
mind.  It  may  be  that  the  comfort  of  passengers 
is  an  idea  that  the  "boat-chief"  has  seldom  in- 
dulged; and  it  is  too  much  to  be  feared  that  his 
trust  in  Providence  becomes  sublime  when  an  ex- 
tra score  of  candidates  for  the  voyage  appear  in 
view.  I  once  stood  on  the  deck  of  a  passage-boat 
for  seven  hours,  in  company  with  160  Chinamen, 
while  the  sea  washed  up  to  my  knees,  destroying 
my  provisions  and  books,  and  the  vessel  lurched 


68      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIElN. 

over  to  such  a  degree  that  it  was  as  much  as  we 
could  do  to  keep  on  deck. 

Given  fair  weather  and  a  breeze  astern,  how- 
ever, and  who  minds  a  little  inconvenience  ?  In 
such  circumstances  a  common  passage -boat  is 
luxurious  compared  with  the  monotony  of  a  se- 
dan-chair. The  fine  river-boats  of  Canton  are 
roomy  and  well  furnished.  A  private  cabin  may 
be  engaged  for  a  small  extra  fee.  The  ever-vary- 
ing views  of  the  beautiful  shores  pass  rapidly  by. 
The  elegant  junk  looks  down  upon  the  blue  waves 
through  its  two  great  eyes,  which  are  always 
painted  on  the  prow.  The  sailors  and  passengers 
keep  up  a  pleasant  sing-song  of  conversation. 
One  finds  time  to  think  when  on  the  water  and 
the  wind  is  fair.  But  if  we  are  beating  up  against 
wind  and  tide,  possibly  rowed  with  six  oars  and 
with  a  great  wooden  propeller  astern,  farewell  to 
all  pleasant  pictures  and  dreams;  we  need  resig- 
nation and  a  library. 

In  connection  with  the  missions  situated  where 
the  water  communication  is  good  a  mission-boat 
becomes  a  necessity.  In  many  places,  such  as 
Amoy,  Foochow,  and  Ningpo,  more  than  half  the 
mission  journeys  are  by  water.  The  boat  in  this 
case  does  duty  as  a  carriage,  hotel,  reception- 
room,  chapel,  and  book  depot.  Anchored  in  the 
broad  stream  or  resting  upon  the  mud  in  an  un- 


TRAVELLING   BY   ROAD   AND   RIVER.  69 

lovely  creek,  the  gospel-boat  provides  a  tiny  home 
for  Ihc  ''messengers  of  the  churches"  when  on 
their  evangelistic  and  pastoral  tours.  Not  even 
then,  by  the  way,  are  they  quite  clear  of  discom- 
forts, for  the  armies  of  mosquitoes  that  infest  the 
banks  and  the  multifarious  sounds  of  a  landing- 
place  are  foes  of  quietude  and  peace.  But  the 
boat  is  a  palace  compared  with  the  sleeping-room 
of  a  chapel  or  inn,  and  the  most  sensitive  nerves 
become  hardened  by  custoin  and  resolution. 

Shooting  the  rapids  is  the  kind  of  travelling 
that  is  most  interesting  of  all.  In  many  direc- 
tions around  Amoy  there  is  opportunity  of  expe- 
riencing the  excitement  of  such  a  journey.  The 
rivers  rise  among  the  hills  several  hundred  miles 
to  the  north,  west,  and  south.  In  some  places 
the  rocks  are  so  numerous  and  so  close  together 
that  no  boat  can  pass  even  when  the  river  is  at  its 
fullest,  and  the  journey  has  to  be  continued  over 
the  hill  to  the  point  where  boats  are  able  once 
more  to  ply.  Sometimes,  too,  the  fall  is  too  great 
to  allow  of  any  kind  of  craft  except  the  great  rafts 
of  timber  going  over  them.  All  passengers  must 
then  alight  while  the  boat  is  let  down  carefully 
by  means  of  bamboo  ropes. 

Such  a  journey  sometimes  proves  to  be  more 
exciting  than  one  would  desire.  My  first  experi- 
ence was  peculiarly  unfortunate.     The  boat  was 


yo      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

not  suited  to  anything  but  level  water,  being  only 
a  shallow  punt  some  twenty  feet  long  and  seven 
broad.  In  this  were  stowed  twenty-seven  passen- 
gers, about  half  a  ton  of  crockery,  three  sedan- 
chairs,  our  baggage,  and  a  lot  of  luggage  belong- 
ing to  the  Chinese  passengers.  There  was  liter- 
ally not  room  to  turn  round.  Before  starting  we 
protested  against  the  overcrowding  of  the  boat, 
but  to  no  purpose.  Happily  the  slope  of  the 
water  at  the  falls  was  not  very  serious.  At  the 
first  we  grated  ominously  on  the  rocks.  At  the 
second  we  ran  on  the  top  of  a  sunken  rock  and 
stuck  fast  for  seventeen  minutes.  We  should  all 
have  been  overthrown  had  there  been  room  to 
fall.  What  were  we  to  do  ?  A  more  ludicrous 
sight  it  would  be  hard  to  find  than  twenty-seven 
human  beings,  packed  as  close  as  they  can  stand, 
stranded  in  the  middle  of  a  rapid  stream.  The 
captain  found  means  to  convey  to  shore  eight 
men  (say  1,200  lbs.  weight).  The  boat  being 
lightened  to  that  extent  floated  off"  the  rock,  and 
we  who  retained  our  places  were  so  hardened  we 
would  not  allow  our  late  fellow-travellers  to  re- 
turn. For  a  mile  or  two  they  ran  along  the  shore 
near  to  us,  exhausting  their  vocabulary  of  abuse 
and  satire. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  journeys  on  the 
rapids  near  Amoy  is  from  the  city  of  lying- yang, 


TRAVELLING   BY   ROAD   AND   RIVER.  7 1 

near  to  the  centre  of  the  Fuh-kien  province.    The 
falls  extend  over  somewhat  more  than  a  hundred 
miles  from  Ling-yang  to  Chiu-loa  ("  End  of  Rap- 
ids").    There  is  a  course  of  some  twelve  to  twen- 
ty miles  of  the  river  over  which  no  boat  can  go. 
The  river  mission-boat  can  go  as  far  as  Nia-tau, 
from  which  point  a  pass  over  the  mountain-side 
leads  to  Te-hong,  one  of  the  most  important  tea 
marts    in    Fuh-kien,    where    many   roads    meet. 
Here  the  river  becomes  practicable  once  more, 
except  when  it  is  dangerously  full  or  so  shallow 
as  not  to  cover  the  rocks.     At  many  points  there 
are  magnificent  pools,  deep,  embowered   among 
the  trees  or  shut  in  by  high  cliffs,  and  sometimes 
so  full  of  fish  that  one  cannot  wash  one's  hands 
without  a  number  of  gills  pressing  for  food.     At 
a  place  called   "The  Eleven  Pools"  there  is  a 
magnificent  chasm  through  wdiich  the  river  runs. 
It  is  almost  horseshoe  in  shape,  with  cliffs  from 
two  hundred  to  four  hundred  feet  in  height,  and 
the   hills   rise   somewhat  abruptly  beyond   that. 
The  boatmen  said  the  sun  never  shines  into  the 
chasm  in  summer  for  more  than  an  hour  in  the 
day.      All  passengers  must  disembark  here  and 
make  their  way  for  half  a  mile  by  a  narrow  path 
cut  in   the  face  of  the  cliff  to  a  point  where  a 
loaded  boat  may  again  safely  pass.     In  the  chasm 
is  a  shrine  to  the  memory  of  a  mandarin  who  was 


72      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

wrecked  there  and  lost  his  life.  Our  boatmen 
pulled  up  to  the  rock  to  burn  a  few  incense  sticks. 
Few  if  any  would  dare  to  pass  this  point  without 
propitiating  the  spirit  of  the  dead.  What  sort  of 
a  notion  can  they  have  of  the  morals  of  their  de- 
ceased friends,  seeing  that  they  must  needs  always 
keep  on  the  right  side  of  them  by  means  of  joss- 
sticks,  paper-money,  and  crackers  ?  While  being 
rowed  across  a  long  pool  we  took  advantage  of 
the  relief  to  the  pilot's  attention  to  ask  how  many 
wrecks  take  place  a  year,  and  he  said,  "  Only  one 
boat  in  a  thousand  in  the  year."  If  that  is  real- 
ly so,  it  is  a  high  testimony  to  the  skill  of  the 
pilots.  The  bed  of  the  stream  consists  of  rock 
throughout  almost  the  whole  course  from  Ling- 
yang  to  Chiu-loa.  It  requires  no  slight  effort  of 
memory  to  remember  the  exact  position  of  all  the 
rocks,  sunken  or  otherwise,  in  a  distance  of  many 
tens  of  miles. 

The  run  from  Ling-yang  occupied  twenty-two 
hours,  spread  over  three  days.  From  Ling-yang 
to  Chiang-ping  there  are  just  one  hundred  and 
fifty  falls,  water-slides,  and  rapids;  and  from  Chi- 
ang-ping to  Te-hong  thirty-six  of  the  larger  sort 
and  innumerable  smaller  ones.  Many  of  these 
imply  a  difference  in  level  of  not  more  than  three 
feet,  whereas  not  a  few  are  inclined  planes  of  from 
a  hundred  yards  to  a  quarter   of  a  mile,    down 


•*^-co;f^ 


'^.  ^^t  .^^f^-^h 


-m  ^««^-'^-^' 


gHOOXlNG  THE   EAPID3. 


TRAVELLING   BY   ROAD   AND   RIVER.  75 

which  the  boat  shoots  with  a  velocity  of  perhaps 
twelve  miles  an  hour.  The  mountain  towns  and 
villages  on  the  banks  of  this  river  are  at  a  consid- 
erable elevation,  indicated  not  only  by  the  steep 
descent  of  the  water,  but  also  by  the  low  temper- 
ature as  compared  with  the  sea  level. 

A  boat  for  the  rapids  is  built  of  pine  wood, 
flat-bottomed,  three  feet  broad  in  the  water  and 
five  feet  at  the  top  of  the  gunwales,  which  are 
three  feet  high  and  inclined  outwards,  to  throw 
off  the  spray  of  the  cascades.  The  pilot  stands  at 
the  prow  wielding  an  oar  thirty  feet  long,  most 
delicately  balanced  by  a  mass  of  stone,  so  that 
only  about  three  feet  of  the  thirty  are  on  board. 
The  blade  is  crescent-shaped.  If  it  comes  in  con- 
tact with  a  sunken  rock  it  readily  slips  over  it. 
With  a  single  stroke  of  this  sweep-oar  he  is  able 
in  a  second  to  alter  the  course  of  the  boat  and  to 
guide  it  through  the  most  tortuous  passages  among 
the  rocks.  It  is  necessary  for  one's  peace  of  mind 
to  have  implicit  confidence  in  the  pilot.  His  in- 
timate acquaintance  with  the  exact  position  of 
every  one  of  the  ten  thousand  rocks  we  pass  each 
hour,  and  his  surprising  skill  in  avoiding  them, 
so  command  our  admiration  that  we  forget  the 
dangers  of  the  journey. 

The  process  of  shooting  the  rapids  is  at  first 
frightfully  exciting.     One  is  apt  to  indulge  that 


76     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

harmless  notion  of  the  beginner  that  one  is  doinsf 
something  exceedingly  venturesome;  but  after  a 
score  or  two  of  falls  have  been  safely  passed  one 
remains  resigned  and  calm  in  shooting  the  most 
boisterous  cascade.  No  one,  however,  knows  bet- 
ter than  the  pilot  that  the  danger  of  careless  boat- 
ing is  extreme.  When  nearing  a  fall  or  water- 
slide  the  pilot  stands  rigid  at  the  prow  holding 
the  sweep-oar,  while  with  one  hand  he  makes 
signs  over  his  shoulder  to  the  steersman.  A  sud- 
den hush  falls  upon  the  occupants  of  the  boat, 
which  sways  to  and  fro  with  the  force  of  the  hurt- 
ling waters.  Above  the  deafening  roar  are  heard 
certain  shrill,  sharp  monosyllables  from  the  lips 
of  the  pilot;  and  we  know  that  a  movement  of 
the  long  craft  six  inches  in  the  wrong  direction 
would  break  it  up  like  an  egg-shell  and  spill  us 
all  into  the  frothy  fangs  of  a  rock-bound  chasm. 
Such  a  sensation  comes  over  us  then  as  I  suppose 
soldiers  feel  when  they  stand  in  battle  amid  a 
shower  of  leaden  hail.  At  one  moment  we  are 
being  hurled  like  a  dart  at  a  massive  rock  in  mid- 
stream up  the  sides  of  which  the  water  is  trying 
to  climb,  and  it  seems  to  us  that  the  next  second 
must  see  the  wreckage  of  the  boat  and  its  strug- 
gling  passengers  scattered  in  the  foam;  but  a 
sharp,  timely  stroke  of  the  long  oar  throws  us 
into  another  channel,  and  we  are  gliding  down 


TRAVELLING   BY   ROAD  AND   RIVER.  ']^ 

hill  amid  the  thunder  of  the  water  broken  into 
myriads  of  foam-crested  waves,  and  presently 
reach  a  quiet  pool  shut  in  by  pleasant  wooded 
hills  or  craggy  cliffs,  where  utter  silence  reigns 
between  two  cataracts.  Then  the  buzz  of  con- 
versation breaks  out  afresh  as  we  are  rowed  gently 
over  the  placid  stream  towards  the  next  fall. 


i.l  lioHiI  lu  China. 


78      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 


CHAPTER  III. 

CHINESE   INNS. 

The  unsophisticated  traveller  who  finds  him- 
self compelled  to  pass  the  night  in  a  Chinese  inn 
rebels  against  the  application  of  the  word  "  inn  " 
or  "hotel"  to  such  a  place  of  entertainment. 
That,  let  us  say  again,  is  simply  because  of  the 
prejudices  of  the  civilized  Briton.  If  he  will  take 
a  Webster's  dictionary  and  turn  to  the  word  mn^ 
he  will  find  that  he  has  not  been  deceived  by  his 
Chinese  host.  There  it  is  written  that  an  inn  is 
"a  place  of  shelter,"  and  he  will  not  deny  that 
the  three  or  four  walls  have  a  roof  on  them,  if 
somewhat  leaky.  Another  definition  is,  "A  house 
for  the  lodging  and  entertainment  of  travellers," 
and  it  is  surely  a  most  full  and  accurate  descrip- 
tion of  the  commodity  supplied.  We  should, 
however,  be  obliged  discreetly  to  pass  over  a  note 
which  reads,  "  It  has  been  judicially  defined  as  a 
house  where  a  traveller  is  furnished  with  every- 
thing for  which  he  has  occasion  when  on  his 
way."  That  is  the  point  where  the  Chinese  hos- 
telry fails:  it  does  not  furnish  you  with  the  things 
you  desire,  but  it  supplies  you  over-abundantly 


CHINESE   INNS.  79 

with  the  things  you  dislike  and  wish  to  avoid. 
Charles  Kingsley,  writing  to  Mr.  Thomas  Hughes, 
describes  his  hotel  in  Wales  as  "  the  divinest  pig- 
sty under  the  canopy."  Charles  Kingsley  had 
not  been  in  China  ! 

But  we  must  not  seem  to  write  tckel^  "thou 
art  found  wanting,"  over  every  entrance-door, 
especially  as  there  is  a  benediction  rudely  written 
on  red  paper  posted  there  already.  I^ike  the  pri- 
vate houses,  inns  are  of  every  description  and 
quality.  We  are  told  that  in  early  Saxon  "  inn  " 
meant  a  palace,  and  thence  originated  the  names 
Lincoln's  Inn,  Clifford's  Inn,  and  so  on.  There 
are  hotels  which  in  Chinese  eyes  are  elegant  man- 
sions, and  in  comparison  with  the  ordinary  kind 
deserve  to  be  called  The  Grand  or  The  Metropol- 
itan or  The  Palace  Hotel.  Some  of  these  go  by 
the  name  of  Mandarin  Hotels,  because  they  are 
kept  ready  for  the  use  of  travelling  magistrates 
and  are  not  open  to  every  class  of  the  public. 
They  are  roomy,  airy,  the  floors  tiled,  and  the 
rooms  screened  off  with  car\'ed  frames  covered 
with  tissue  paper.  From  these  spacious  and  ven- 
tilated buildings  there  is  a  descent  to  the  dark, 
damp,  and  malodorous  sheds  at  the  service  of 
ordinary  travellers,  who  herd  together  anyhow 
and  pay  their  twenty  or  thirty  cash  with  only  a 
passing  reference  to  the  toad-stools  in  the  floor 


8o      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

and  the  peculiar  liveliness  of  the  lodgers  who  do 
not  pay  for  their  accommodation  except  some- 
times with  their  life. 

But  we  ought  to  beware  of  being  harsh  in  our 
judgment,  although  these  hotels  are  so  inferior  to 
our  own.  We  have  rather  to  consider  the  com- 
pleteness of  the  contrast  between  the  social  ar- 
rangements in  our  own  country  and  in  China  and 
to  remember  that  the  subject  we  are  discussing  is 
only  one  of  the  features  in  that  contrast.  The 
least  inviting  of  our  hotels  would  be  preferable  to 
the  dreadful  probabilities  of  the  best  inns  upon 
many  a  Chinese  main  road.  The  reason  simply 
is  that  they  do  not  seem  to  understand  comfort  in 
our  sense  of  the  term.  The  word  comfort  of  course 
exists  in  the  language,  but  they  do  not  mean  by 
it  what  we  do.  With  all  their  intelligence,  their 
considerable  degree  of  skill  in  the  social  arts,  and 
the  very  marked  decorum  and  courtesy  of  many 
of  their  households,  they  have  introduced  very 
few  of  what  we  call  luxuries.  They  are  probably 
none  the  worse  off  on  that  account.  It  would  be 
a  decided  mistake  and  misfortune  to  exchange 
their  present  simple  habits  for  our  more  compli- 
cated and  expensive  style  of  living.  The  require- 
ments of  the  climate  are  not  the  same  as  ours,  and 
the  necessity  of  living  cheaply  leads  them  to  think 
only  of  necessaries  in  the  furnishing  of  house  and 


CHINESE   INNS.  8l 

table.  In  the  West  \vc  submit  to  a  great  variety 
of  discomforts  in  our  dress  in  obedience  to  the  dic- 
tates of  public  opinion,  one  sex  in  certain  grades 
of  society  disregarding  the  simplest  laws  of  health 
and  incurring  very  serious  expense  in  providing — 
not  clothing,  but  dress;  but  the  Chinese  of  both 
sexes  commonly  adapt  their  costume  to  their  cir- 
cumstances and  occupations,  and  dress  with  an 
elegance,  simplicity,  and  ease  that  allow  little 
room  for  criticism.  In  putting  on  and  taking  off 
their  dress  people  in  our  middle  and  upper  classes 
of  society  spend,  on  a  very  moderate  computation, 
something  like  two  whole  weeks  out  of  the  fifty- 
two;  while  as  for  the  time  and  labor  expended  in 
o^ivinof  starchiness  and  discomfort  to  certain  arti- 
cles  of  clothing,  we  shrink  from  entering  upon  a 
calculation  so  difficult  and  uncertain.  The  Chi- 
naman and  Chinawoman,  on  the  other  hand,  are 
fully  dressed  in  less  than  five  minutes  after  rising 
in  the  morning.  We  cover  our  tables  with  viands 
which  are  not  absolute  necessaries  and  which  take 
a  great  deal  of  time  and  skill  to  prepare,  while 
the  number  and  variety  of  the  implements  by 
means  of  which  we  partake  of  our  food  would  fur- 
nish words  for  several  pages  of  a  dictionary;  but 
the  Chinaman  with  half  a  dozen  pots  and  pans,  a 
dozen  rice-bowls,  and  a  pile  of  chopsticks,  is  ready 
to  cook  and  to  dispose  of  an  elaborate  and  respect- 


82      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

able  meal.  And  if  we  were  to  talk  of  furnishing, 
the  contrast  would  become  greater  still,  since  we 
crowd  our  rooms  with  furniture,  lumbering  them 
with  odds  and  ends  and  bric-a-brac,  often  not 
pleasing  to  the  eye  and  decidedly  inconvenient, 
laying  carpets  and  hanging  curtains  which  are 
stores  for  dust,  damp,  and  staleness,  but  which 
must  be  provided  if  the  rooms  are  to  be  "respect- 
able;" whereas  our  Chinese  brother  will  furnish 
a  whole  house  for  a  few  tens  of  dollars,  and  never 
gives  a  thought  to  more  than  a  dozen  or  two  of 
the  thousand  items  that  the  upholsterer,  ironmon- 
ger, earthenware-dealer,  dressmaker,  etc.,  etc., 
assure  us  are  absolutely  necessary. 

Even  the  mandarins  and  wealthy  gentry  live 
in  a  plain  and  frugal  fashion  which  would  aston- 
ish our  English  housekeepers,  who  are  so  fre- 
quently in  bondage  to  that  worst  of  tyrants,  ' '  What 
will  people  say?"  The  palace  of  a  viceroy  ruling 
twenty  to  fifty  millions  has  a  tiled  iloor,  straight- 
backed,  flat-bottomed  chairs,  a  lounge  covered 
with  nothing  softer  than  a  plantain-leaf  mat,  and 
windows  of  tissue-paper  or  split  oyster -shell. 
Even  he  dines  with  the  aid  of  bowl  and  chop- 
sticks. On  one  occasion  I  was  the  guest  of  a 
military  mandarin  in  an  inland  city,  who,  like 
our  own  civil  magistrates,  was  engaged  in  busi- 
ness as  a  wholesale  tea-dealer.      The  house  was 


CHINESE    INNS.  85 

very  handsome.  The  central  hall  would  have 
seated  two  hundred  people.  A  gallery  admitted 
to  the  private  apartments.  The  bedsteads  were 
richly  gilt.  A  dozen  mantelpiece  clocks  were 
scattered  abont  the  house.  Yet  this  grand  and 
courteous  gentleman  sat  down  to  dinner  with  his 
general  servant,  who  was  cook,  housemaid,  and 
errand-boy  all  in  one.  In  as  delicate  a  manner 
as  possible  I  remarked  to  the  servant  on  this  sim- 
plicity of  the  "great  officer,"  and  with  a  look  of 
surprise  he  remarked,  ' '  Why  not  ?  We  share  our 
eating  expenses !"  After  this  it  was  not  surpri- 
sing to  see  the  wealthy  patriarch  carry  his  shut- 
ters into  the  street  at  dusk  and  put  them  up  him- 
self, because  the  servant  was  busy  lighting  the 
incense-sticks  before  the  household  gods. 

Chinese  inns,  like  the  private  houses,  contain 
only  such  furniture  as  is  needful.  This  is  as  true 
in  regard  to  the  better  sort  as  of  the  common 
lodging-houses.  One  of  the  Kong-kwan  or  official 
inns  reserved  for  the  use  of  mandarins  is  occa- 
sionally engaged  for  a  night  by  missionaries  from 
Amoy  when  it  is  certain  that  no  mandarins  will 
be  coming.  On  entering  through  an  archway 
guarded  with  heavy  gates  we  find  ourselves  in  a 
court  whose  length  is  the  whole  width  of  the 
building.  To  right  and  left  against  the  road  are 
the  lodgings  of  the  innkeeper,  the  kitchens,  and 


86      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

wood  Stores.  Before  us,  on  a  higher  level,  are 
more  heavy  gates  like  those  we  have  just  passed 
through.  Trellis-work,  painted  various  bright 
colors  and  pasted  over  on  the  inner  side  with 
white  paper,  forms  the  partition  wall  on  either 
side  of  the  gates.  Within  these  we  find  ourselves 
in  the  main  building.  On  either  side  are  rooms 
for  the  suite  of  the  magistrate.  Crossing  a  small 
court  partly  covered  over  we  enter  the  audience- 
chamber  or  guest-room,  where  the  great  man 
takes  his  meals  in  the  presence  of  the  gods.  His 
bed-chamber,  a  large  and  airy  apartment,  is  on 
one  side  of  this,  and  a  room  of  the.  same  size  on 
the  other.  The  whole  of  the  building,  with  the 
exception  of  the  outer  court,  is  neatly  paved  with 
red  tiles.  The  only  furniture  in  the  sitting-room 
is  a  shrine  with  idols,  flowers,  and  incense-jars,  a 
table,  two  wooden  arm-chairs,  and  two  benches 
without  backs;  and  in  each  bedroom  a  four-post- 
er, a  table,  and  a  chair. 

In  villages  and  country  towns  the  inns  are  sel- 
dom more  than  one  story  high.  As  a  rule,  only 
in  large  towns  where  every  foot  of  space  is  valua- 
ble do  our  Celestial  friends  put  themselves  to  the 
trouble  of  climbing  to  an  upper  floor.  Pictures  of 
European  houses  rising  to  a  height  of  five  and 
more  stories  surprise  them  greatly.  It  is  said  that 
an  emperor  once  asked   the  British  ambassador 


CHINESE   INNS.  87 

whether  it  was  the  smallness  of  our  territory  that 
compelled  us  to  build  so  high  !  A  fiue  house  in 
Chiua  does  not  mean  one  that  towers  aloft  or  has 
a  noble  frontage,  but  one  that  covers  a  large  space 
of  ground.  One  of  the  best  houses  we  ever  visit- 
ed, which  was  said  to  have  cost  ten  thousand 
English  pounds,  was  almost  an  acre  in  extent,  but 
no  part  of  the  roof  exceeded  twenty  to  thirty  feet 
in  height. 

The  eating-houses  at  the  various  stages  of  a 
main  road  belong  to  the  general  denomination  of 
inns  and  hotels.  Where  the  restaurant  stands 
alone  or  almost  alone,  and  not  in  a  town  or  vil- 
lage, it  is  most  commonly  located  under  the  luxu- 
riant branches  of  a  banyan- tree,  whose  shade  in 
summer  is  most  grateful  to  the  sunburned  coolies. 
Often  there  is  a  group  of  some  six  or  eight  of 
these  rude  buildings.  There  are  only  three  walls 
and  a  roof,  all  perfectly  black  with  the  dirt  and 
smoke  of  generations,  if  not  of  centuries.  The 
table  and  benches  seem  to  be  in  the  same  condi- 
tion. Pigs  and  dogs  wander  among  the  throng  of 
human  beings.  A  few  beggars  exhibiting  their 
deformities  and  diseases,  or  blind  persons,  call  the 
attention  of  the  benevolent.  The  itinerant  seller 
of  cakes  and  sweetmeats  is  driving  'a  leisurely 
trade,  although  he  is  making  a  great  noise  about 
it.    The  chattering  crowd  of  dirty,  good-humored 


88      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

people  are  not  at  all  shy  of  talking  to  strangers. 
Every  Chinaman  in  Fnh-kien  addresses  every 
other  as  though  he  had  known  him  all  his  life. 
The  topic  in  most  cases  is,  of  course,  that  all-im- 
portant, universal,  and  endless  one — cash.  I 
called  them  good-humored,  but  a  stranger  would 
not  think  so  if  he  saw  such  a  crowd  for  the  first 
time.  On  the  contrary,  the  state  of  things  seems 
to  be  bordering  on  a  riot.  The  amount  of  energy 
that  lies  latent  in  a  Chinaman  waiting  to  be  de- 
veloped and  manifested  by  a  discussion  on  cash  is 
simply  incalculable.  The  most  commonplace 
and  innocent-looking  person  presently  speaks  as 
though  he  were  addressing  a  very  deaf  audience; 
nor  does  he  talk  with  his  lips  only,  but  with  every 
muscle  of  his  face  and  body.  As  we  coolly  regard 
this  throng  of  half-dressed,  copper-colored  peo- 
ple, we  see  chance  acquaintances  who  have  run 
against  one  another  for  half  an  hour  screaming 
their  loudest,  with  distorted  countenances  and  vio- 
lent gesticulations,  apparently  threatening  imme- 
diate death  to  those  who  differ  from  them.  It 
seems  incredible  that  the  subject  is  of  no  more 
importance  than  whether  a  sack  of  potatoes  or 
basket  of  fish  shall  be  half  a  farthing  more  or 
less. 

Imagine  our  coming  suddenly   into   such   a 
crowd  in  a  short  serge  jacket  and  big  sun-hat, 


CHINESE    INNS.  89 

under  which  is  a  pale  face  and  beard.  If  the 
place  is  one  where  foreigners  are  occasionally 
seen  they  will  look  up,  say,  "Hwan-kui"  (foreign 
ghost),  and  after  a  few  moments  resume  their  em- 
ployment as  though  we  were  not  there.  If,  how- 
ever, foreigners  are  almost  unknown  in  those 
parts,  we  know  perfectly  well  that  we  shall  have 
no  peace  except  such  as  we  can  secure  by  means 
of  a  little  manoeuvring.  Sometimes  the  landlord 
appears  pleased  to  receive  us,  but  now  and  then 
he  seems  to  think  we  take  up  too  much  room, 
with  the  crowd  who  stand  round  to  look  at  us. 
It  is  very  entertaining  to  observe  how  excited 
such  a  crowd  often  becomes  by  the  advent  of  a 
foreigner  and  how  rapidly  the  news  spreads  to 
neighboring  houses  that  a  "foreign  ghost"  has 
arrived.  Mine  host  stands  and  threatens  terrible 
things,  which  he  has  not  the  smallest  intention  of 
carrying  into  execution.  For  half  an  hour  he 
will  shout  and  gesticulate,  entreating  the  untu- 
tored herd  to  remember  the  proprieties  and  not 
crowd  in  so  much  upon  the  foreign  gentleman. 

The  point  of  greatest  interest  is  always  reached 
when  the  traveller  begins  his  meal.  He  has  car- 
ried with  him  all  he  wants,  with  the  exception  of 
rice,  potatoes,  hot  water,  and  one  or  two  other 
things.  The  laying  out  of  plates,  knives,  and 
forks  is  a  great  mystery.     Much  questioning  goes 


9©      AI^ONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

on  as  to  the  way  of  using  them.  They  beg  to 
know  the  reason  why  we  prefer  to  employ  a  man 
to  carry  all  our  apparatus  for  dinner  instead  of 
using  their  bowls  and  chopsticks.  The  spoon  and 
fork,  apparently  made  of  solid  silver,  greatly  as- 
tonish them,  and  the  traveller  is  ready  enough 
to  own  that  they  are  not  silver  at  all.  When  we 
lift  our  food  to  our  mouth  many  hands  move  in  a 
similar  way,  as  they  say  quietly  to  one  another, 
*'Look,  he  is  doing  like  this!"  Standing  so 
closely  around  our  small  table  that  we  feel  incon- 
venienced, we  entreat  them  to  give  us  breathing 
room  while  we  dine,  and  afterwards  we  will  talk 
to  them.  Many  voices  break  forth  with  pleasure 
at  our  speaking  to  them.  "The  foreigner  speaks 
our  words,"  says  one.  "Yes,  let  him  eat,"  says 
another.  "  Stand  back,  you  man  without  propri- 
ety," says  a  third,  whose  zeal  for  good  manners 
is  evidently  due  only  to  his  desire  to  secure  a  front 
place. 

At  such  a  time  one  is  almost  always  ques- 
tioned in  the  same  way.  There  is  a  stock  list  of 
subjects  about  which  the  average  Chinaman  when 
he  meets  a  foreigner  is  very  anxious  to  be  in- 
formed. Not,  as  the  good  supporters  of  missions 
would  like  to  be  told,  "What  is  your  object  in 
coming  among  us?  Is  your  doctrine  better  than 
that  of  our  great  Confucius?"     The  most  trivial 


CHINESE   INNS.  91 

and  ridiculous  questions  are  asked.  The  inqui- 
ries they  make  of  a  foreigner  are  such  as  they  com- 
monly make  among  themselves.  "How  far  is  it 
to  your  ancestral  home  ?  Are  your  venerable  pa- 
rents living  ?  How  many  sons  have  you  ?  Was 
your  linen  made  in  China  or  in  England  ?  How 
do  you  get  it  so  white?  Is  it  true  your  emperor 
is  a  woman?  How  are  marriages  arrang-ed  among^ 
the  foreign  children?  What  is  your  income?" 
A  little  mild  banter  is  much  appreciated  by  the 
crowd,  but  brings  out  a  more  rapid  fusillade  of 
questions.  In  the  country  places  about  Amoy  I 
have  been  asked  very  frequently,  "Where  is  the 
country  where  the  people  have  one  leg,  one  arm, 
one  eye,  and  where  there  are  only  women?  Have 
you  seen  these  lands?"  What  the  origin  of  these 
notions  is  it  is  hard  to  say.  Perhaps  some  Chi- 
nese Baron  Munchausen  or  Dean  Swift  wrote  a 
burlesque  book  of  travels,  which  has  in  the  course 
of  time  been  accepted  as  authentic  by  a  people 
who  have  for  so  many  centuries  stayed  at  home. 

Dinner  over,  we  take  advantage  of  the  con- 
course of  people  to  say  a  few  words  on  the  theme 
nearest  and  dearest  to  the  Christian  heart..  Mov- 
ing to  such  a  position  that  we  shall  not  interfere 
with  the  business  of  the  restaurant,  we  sit  upon  a 
table  and  begin  to  explain  for  what  purpose  we 
have  come  to  reside  in  their  ancient  land.    "That 


92      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

is  what  our  hearts  desire  to  know,"  says  some 
man  who  imagines  we  are  buying  tea  or  prospect- 
ing for  gold.  He  has  an  idea  that  every  foreigner 
can  see  three  feet  into  the  hillside  and  can  tell  at 
a  glance  what  there  is  in  it.  "Be  silent,  all!" 
he  exclaims.  As  we  proceed  to  explain  that  our 
doctrine  is  not  opposed  to  anything  that  is  good, 
but  includes  all  good  and  is  the  best  doctrine  in 
the  world,  having  come  from  God,  and  commends 
itself  to  the  good  heart,  our  friend,  who  has  in- 
stalled himself  as  my  herald  and  verger,  remarks 
respectfully,  but  in  a  somewhat  disappointed  tone, 
"Hell !  The  gentleman  is  one  of  the  Jesus  sect 
shepherd-teachers — a  man  who  speaks  doctrine." 
So  we  proceed  with  our  discourse,  asking  them  oc- 
casionally whether  the  doctrine  is  not  good  and 
whether  they  believe  it;  to  which  they  courteous- 
ly reply,  "It  is  extremely  good,"  though  proba- 
bly they  have  heard  scarcely  a  word,  having  been 
engaged  upon  a  totally  different  line  of  thought 
all  the  while.  To  a  beginner  such  preaching  is 
often  most  disappointing.  One  discovers  on  ques- 
tioning them  that  they  have  not  listened  at  all. 
Perhaps  some  one  person  among  them  does  seem 
to  be  drinking  in  our  words,  and  as  we  speak  we 
insensibly  fall  to  addressing  our  remarks  directly 
to  him;  our  heart  prays  that  he  may  receive  the 
truth ;  we  press  the  gospel  message  upon  him ;  we 


CHINESE    INNS.  93 

entreat  him  not  to  fear  to  believe  and  accept  the 
salvation  offered  to  him.  He  seems  to  be  more 
and  more  deeply  impressed,  until  at  length  he 
makes  a  sign  that  he  wishes  to  speak,  and  he 
asks,  "Teacher,  were  you  born  with  a  beard?" 
or,  "  "Why  do  not  your  people  shave  their  heads 
as  we  do?"  At  such  seasons  the  missionary  is 
obliofed  to  cheer  himself  with  the  fact  that  the 
sower  does  not  make  the  seed  grow  and  that  he 
has  only  to  scatter  it,  hoping  that  some  may  fall 
into  good  ground,  although  much  withers  in  the 
stony  ground  and  more  is  caught  away  by  the 
birds.  No  Christian  laborer  feels  more  deeply 
than  the  missionary  to  the  heathen  the  duty  of 
"sowing  beside  all  waters,"  and  the  experience 
of  none  proves  to  him  more  clearly  that  we  "know 
not  whether  shall  prosper  either  this  or  that  or 
whether  they  both  shall  be  alike  good."  All  he 
has  to  do  is  to  obey  the  command,  "In  the  morn- 
ing sow  thy  seed  and  in  the  evening  withhold 
not  thy  hand." 

Many  missionaries  feel  that  preaching  in  such 
a  place  and  under  such  circumstances  is  truly  a 
scattering  of  the  seed  rather  than  a  sowing  of  it. 
The  incessant  chatter  of  the  audience,  as  well  as 
of  the  crowd  around,  and  their  insatiable  curiosity 
as  to  indifferent  matters,  render  it  next  to  impossi- 
ble to  address  them  upon  the  great  themes  of  reli- 


94      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

gion,  which  demand  a  serious  and  steady  atten- 
tion. If  half  a  dozen  men  can  be  induced  to  come 
and  sit  in  an  inner  room,  to  "stare  themselves 
full,"  as  their  idiom  puts  it,  while  they  drink  tea 
and  smoke  their  pipes,  they  can  sometimes  be 
kept  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  a  little  judicious 
questioning  brings  out  their  difiBculties  in  such  a 
way  as  cannot  possibly  be  done  in  a  general  and 
busy  throng. 

We  must,  however,  come  back  from  this  di- 
gression to  describe  the  accommodation  in  the 
inns  at  night.  As  we  can  only  speak  of  the  Fuh- 
kien  province,  let  Dr.  Alexander  Williamson  tell 
us  of  what  kind  it  is  north  of  the  Yang-tsze.  "  In 
China  every  man  carries  his  bedding  with  him  ; 
in  the  day-time  it  helps  to  pack  the  cart,  or  is 
laid,  by  way  of  saddle,  upon  the  ass.  The  trav- 
eller may  count  himself  fortunate  if  he  can  find 
in  some  IMutual  Prosperity  or  Heavenly  Union 
hotel  a  tolerable  room  in  which  to  rest.  On  the 
great  roads  and  at  the  recognized  stages  the  inns 
are  pretty  sure  to  be  decent,  but  elsewhere  they 
are  often  wretched.  In  those  of  the  better  sort 
there  is  generally  an  eating-house  or  tea-shop  on 
one  side  of  the  large  door  in  the  yard.  The  shop 
faces  the  street  and  is  connected  with  the  cook- 
house and  private  rooms  of  the  landlord.  At  this 
end,  too,  are  the  rooms  occupied  by  the  carters 


CIIINKSE   INNS.  95 

and  others.  Passing  through  the  great  door  the 
visitor  finds  himself  in  a  large  unpaved  yard  with 
buildings  all  round  it.  On  one  side  are,  perhaps, 
six  or  eight  guest-rooms,  little  boxes  about  twelve 
feet  square,  with  paper  in  place  of  glass  for  win- 
dows, doors  which  do  not  fit,  and  through  the 
openings  of  which  wind  and  dust  find  their  way. 
A  very  rickety  old  chair  and  an  equally  decrepit 
table  are  the  only  furniture,  the  bed  being  simply 
a  brick  or  mud  platform  filling  nearly  half  the 
little  room  and  raised  about  two  feet  from  the 
floor.  Underneath  it  is  a  flue,  into  which  in  cold 
weather  dry  grass  or  other  fuel  is  pushed  and 
fired,  the  heat  and  smoke  passing  in  a  zigzag  line 
just  under  the  surface  of  the  couch  and  finally 
escaping  up  a  vent  in  the  wall.  Other  fireplace 
there  is  none;  and  if,  as  often  happens,  the  chim- 
ney should  be  foul,  the  warmed  bed  is  but  a  poor 
compensation  for  smarting  eyes  and  partial  suffo- 
cation. But  there  are  other  rooms  sometimes  at 
the  top  of  the  yard,  and  it  is  always  an  object  to 
secure  them,  as  they  are  a  trifle  larger  and  cleaner 
and  probably  in  better  repair.  The  charges  are 
moderate,  from  one  to  two  hundred  cash  per  night 
(about  one  shilling),  with  extras  for  food  and  gra- 
tuities for  servants." 

In  the  south  the  k^ang^  or  bed  over  a  flue,  is 

unknown,  but  the  discomforts  of  the  inns  are  prob- 

6 


96      ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

ably  exceeded.  In  one  particular  at  least  they 
agree  perfectly,  and  that  is  in  the  magniloquence 
of  the  names  given  to  these  sleeping-dens.  Such 
resounding  titles  might  seem  to  suggest  that  the 
landlords  are  men  who  profess  a  high  degree  of 
integrity,  or  at  least  appreciate  what  is  beautiful 
and  good.  But  it  is  no  more  than  the  fashion  of 
the  country.  Alas  for  the  difference  between  the 
outward  profession  and  the  inward  state!  Here 
you  are  promised  peace,  love,  truth,  and  generos- 
ity, if  you  will  but  enter,  though  the  man  and  the 
house  contravene  all  the  virtues.  I  shall  always  re- 
tain a  keen  and  painful  recollection  of  a  series  of 
hostelries  at  which  I  was  compelled  to  stay  during 
a  lengthy  tour  due  north  of  Amoy.  That  called 
Unapproachable  Purity,  had  it  been  clean,  might 
have  been  described  as  an  oasis  of  purity  in  a  des- 
ert of  filth,  and  "unapproachable"  only  in  that 
sense;  but  after  stepping  carefully  towards  it  we 
found  the  interior  fully  agreed  with  the  character 
of  its  surroundings.  The  house  of  entertainment 
for  man  and  beast  which  arrogated  to  itself  the 
proud  title  of  The  River  of  Abundance  was  so 
ill-provided  with  the  necessaries  of  life  that  mine 
host  could  give  us  literally  no  food  at  all,  and  at 
a  neighboring  rice-shop  only  a  coarse  "red  rice" 
was  to  be  had.  The  boarding  which  formed  the 
walls  on  three  sides  was  so  damp  and  decomposed 


CHINESE   INNS.  97 

that  fungus  was  growing-  upon  it.  Another  hotel, 
famous  for  the  proud  possession  of  an  upper  floor 
(into  which  we  climbed  and  slept  among  confused 
heaps  of  weaving  and  agricultural  implements 
and  products),  was  called  The  Nourishment  of 
Life.  It  seemed,  however,  to  have  been  con- 
structed for  precisely  the  opposite  purpose.  The 
roof  was  lifted  off  the  walls  some  inches  on  one 
or  more  sides,  and  as  I  lay  on  the  bed-boards 
rolled  up  in  a  railway  rug,  the  wintry  air  driving 
through  the  room  with  a  chill  caught  from  a  con- 
siderable elevation  above  the  sea  effectually  re- 
moved the  possibility  of  sleep,  and  kept  one  think- 
ing of  how  it  was  possible,  under  the  circumstan- 
ces, to  secure  "  the  nourishment  of  life." 

A  detailed  account  of  the  occurrences  of  a  sin- 
gle night  in  an  inn  will  explain  what  sort  of  ex- 
perience it  is,  better  than  any  amount  of  general 
reflections.  We  had  been  to  a  part  of  the  prov- 
ince of  Fuh-kien  visited  only  once  or  twice  before 
by  a  European.  Our  sleeping  accommodations 
had  been  varied — one  night  wrapped  in  a  rug  on 
the  bottom  of  the  boat,  with  a  plantain-leaf  mat 
between  us  and  the  sky;  the  next  in  a  tea  ware- 
house in  the  hills ;  and  the  next  in  a  loft  or  in  a 
gentleman's  best  bedroom.  On  the  evening  to 
which  I  am  about  to  refer  we  were  belated  on  the 
river  throuo-h  the  slug^o-ishness  of  the  stream  after 

River  and  Road  in  China. 


98      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

drouglit,  and  pulled  up  at  the  bank  to  look  for 
shelter.  Whether  the  inn  was  more  fit  to  be  a 
human  habitation  than  the  very  airy  barge  let 
the  reader  judge. 

Fourteen  of  us  quitted  the  boat  to  walk  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  to  the  village  of  "Southern  Plains," 
leaving  two  men  to  mind  the  oars  and  other  prop- 
erties. There  was  only  one  inn.  This  was  a  sin- 
gle room  ten  paces  long  and  four  wide.  The  walls 
were  of  light  brown  cement,  and  were  evidently 
ancient,  for  every  particle  of  the  whitewash  facing 
had  long  since  disappeared  and  the  storms  of  gen- 
erations had  eaten  many  ugly  holes,  which  were 
rudely  plastered  with  mud.  The  one  door  and 
window  were  innocent  of  paint,  and  looked,  in- 
deed, as  though  they  had  never  been  honored  by 
the  brush.  Inside  the  walls  and  roof  and  floor 
were  perfectly  black  with  age  and  dirt.  In  this 
small  space  were  three  sets  of  bed-boards,  each 
capable  of  accommodating  three  persons,  a  brick 
cooking-range  without  a  chimney,  several  piles  of 
dried  grass  and  pine-wood  for  fuel,  a  doi^en  or  so 
of  large  jars  and  tubs,  some  with  rice  and  pota- 
toes, others  filled  with  rubbish,  which  has  a  cer- 
tain value  to  the  careful  Celestial,  and  under  the 
bed-boards  were  a  pig,  several  chickens,  and  a 
miscellaneous  assortment  of  odds  and  ends,  agri- 
cultural,  domestic,   and   culinary,   apparently  in 


CHINESE   INNS.  99 

the  last  stages  of  decay.  The  open  tile  roof  was 
not  lofty,  but  there  was  an  upper  floor  in  it  con- 
structed thus :  a  pole  stood  in  the  middle  of  the 
room,  another,  rather  stronger,  rested  on  the  top 
of  it  and  was  fastened  into  the  wall,  and  along 
this  horizontal  bar  boards  were  arranged,  far  from 
securely,  their  farther  ends  lying  on  the  ledge 
formed  by  the  top  of  the  wall.  On  this  loft  eleven 
men  mounted  to  sleep,  and  we  were  sixteen  in  all 
in  the  inn! 

By  eight  o'clock  we  had  had  our  supper  and 
had  celebrated  evening  worship  with  three  Chris- 
tian natives  of  the  company,  the  rest  of  the  party 
of  course  making  no  objection  to  our  singing  and 
prayer.  But  by  this  time  the  atmosphere  inside 
was  rather  dense.  Doubtless  the  odors  of  the 
room  would  have  been  strong  enough  without  our 
presence,  but  with  a  full  house  and  a  chimneyless 
stove  and  the  savors  of  food,  tobacco,  and  opium, 
the  smell  was  thick  and  stifling.  It  was  a  bril- 
liant moonlight  and  not  very  cold,  so  I  spent  a 
pleasant  hour  outside  talking  to  little  groups  of 
persons  as  to  the  purpose  of  our  travelling  and 
residing  in  their  country.  As  far  as  it  was  possi- 
ble to  judge  the  audience  were  very  sympathetic, 
and,  as  in  many  places,  idolatry  pure  and  simple 
had  only  the  slightest  hold  on  them.  Their  reli- 
gion, if  such  it  could  be  called,  consisted  of  cer- 


lOO   ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

tain  national  forms  and  local  superstitions.  On 
reentering  the  inn  the  smoke  had  almost  cleared 
off,  but  my  servant  was  looking  perplexed  at  the 
set  of  boards  I  was  to  occupy  for  the  night.  They 
were  covered  with  the  finest  of  soot.  Smoke  had 
risen  to  the  roof  for  years  and  generations,  and 
much  of  it  had  settled  upon  the  boards  of  the  loft, 
so  that  when  our  boat's  crew  betook  themselves 
to  that  higher  altitude  they  shook  the  soot  down 
like  rain  upon  us  who  were  to  pass  the  night  be- 
low. Our  protests  induced  the  landlord  to  pro- 
duce a  few  mats,  which  were  laid  on  the  loft,  and 
our  merry  men  with  good-natured  grins  promised 
not  to  be  more  restless  than  they  could  help. 
Covering  my  face  with  a  handkerchief  to  catch 
the  falling  dust,  I  lay  down  hoping  to  secure  a 
little  sleep.  Till  twelve  o'clock,  notwithstanding 
all  remonstrances,  the  party  up  stairs  continued 
to  chatter  at  a  furious  rate  and  to  smoke  tobacco 
and  opium,  the  fumes  of  which  to  all  but  those 
accustomed  to  the  oily  native  weed  and  the  filthy 
drug  are  insufferably  nauseous. 

It  was  ten  minutes  to  two  when  a  strange  noise 
was  heard  coming  from  the  loft,  as  of  some  one  in 
mortal  pain,  groans  and  suppressed  soliloquy  ex- 
pressing the  agony  he  was  in.  I  asked  what  was 
the  matter,  but  got  no  reply.  At  length  the  suf- 
ferer very  slowly  felt  his  way  to  the  ladder,  and 


CHINESE   INNS.  lOI 

still  groaning  and  muttering  descended  to  the 
floor.  To  my  disgust  lie  began  to  light  the  fire 
with  grass,  and  made  no  reply  at  all  to  my  pro- 
tests. In  a  moment  the  smoke  of  the  grass  rose 
thick  and  fast  to  the  region  of  the  up-stairs  sleep- 
ers, who  began  to  cough  and  sneeze  and  choke. 
Calling  to  their  aid  their  whole  vocabulary  of  vi- 
tuperation, they  began  to  consign  their  absent 
bedfellow  to  every  imaginable  kind  of  terrible 
fate.  At  last  we  succeeded  in  inducing  him  to 
explain  his  unreasonable  and  unseasonable  pro- 
ceedings. It  proved  to  be  our  host  himself,  who 
said  in  a  whining  and  anything  but  apologetic 
tone,  ' '  My  stomach  is  cold  ;  I  want  some  fire  ;  I 
cannot  sleep  without  the  charcoal-pan."  It  is  the 
custom  in  cold  weather  in  Fuh-kien  for  old  per- 
sons to  carry  lighted  charcoal  in  an  earthen  dish 
inclosed  in  a  small  wicker  frame.  Sometimes 
they  place  it  under  a  low  stool  and  sit  over  it. 
They  also  conceal  it  within  the  ample  folds  of 
their  upper  garments. 

Sleep  might  have  after  this  paid  his  long-de- 
layed visit  had  it  not  been  for  the  pig  under  my 
neighbor's  bed,  which  had  probably  slept  by  day, 
and  therefore  was  at  leisure  to  move  about  at 
night.  His  trough  was  close  to  the  post  support- 
ing the  loft;  and,  not  content  with  expressing  his 
pleasure  at  being  able  to  roam  about  freely  and  to 


I02     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

sup  in  peace,  he  spent  the  watches  of  the  night  in 
polishing  the  post.  The  cock  under  my  bed  be- 
gan to  crow  at  three.  You,  reader,  have  possibly 
sometimes  complained  of  the  early  piety  of  your 
neighbor's  fowls  as  they  performed  their  noisy 
matins  with  the  first  rays  of  dawn,  but  what  would 
you  say  to  a  bird  that  persists  in  doing  this  within 
a  yard  of  your  ears  ?  The  deluded  songster  car- 
ried on  a  broken  conversation  for  a  full  hour  with 
other  members  of  his  species  in  distant  houses. 
By  this  time  the  situation  had  become  entertain- 
ing. The  series  of  misfortunes  had  trodden  upon 
one  another's  heels  so  quickly  as  to  trip  each  other 
up,  and  we  could  only  laugh  at  the  ridiculous  po- 
sition we  were  in.  There  was  nothing  to  do  but 
to  enjoy  a  good  time.  Boots,  slippers,  walking- 
stick,  umbrella,  and  a  wooden  ladle  did  duty  in 
turn  in  silencing  as  far  as  possible  our  friends  un- 
der the  beds,  or  drove  them  thither  from  their 
perambulations  round  the  room.  Mine  host  from 
his  couch  drowsily  whined,  "Teacher,  you  will 
kill  that  bird,"  to  which  I  replied,  "What  you 
say  has  a  shadow,  and  is  true. ' '  My  servant  slew 
the  untimely  songster  in  the  morning,  and  it  ap- 
peared at  the  breakfast-table  not  a  whit  the  ten- 
derer for  the  treatment  it  had  received.  We  rose 
at  five  and  returned  to  the  boat  at  daybreak.  The 
charge  for  our  entertainment,  including  the  fuel 


CHINESE   INNS.  103 

used  in  cooking  supper  for  our  party  and  the  pur- 
chase of  the  noisy  fowl,  amounted  to  one  shilling 
and  ninepence,  and  it  was  dear  at  that,  especially 
as  a  considerable  number  of  the  unestimated  pop- 
ulation of  the  inn  resolved,  uninvited,  to  emigrate 
to  other  climes,  taking  a  passage  with  us,  to  our 
great  discomfort  and  their  own  destruction. 

From  these  brief  sketches  of  the  hotel-life  of 
China  it  is  clear  that  to  stay  in  an  inn  is  usually 
a  painful  experience  for  a  European.  Unfortu- 
nately, in  drawing  a  dark  picture  one  has  to  add 
that  there  are  no  lighter  and  more  pleasant  aspects 
to  it.  The  native  disregard  of  cleanliness  is  uni- 
versal. On  one  occasion,  when  staying  for  a  few 
days  in  a  Chinese  house  inland,  I  pointed  out  to 
my  servant  the  dirty  state  of  the  premises  and 
desired  him  to  go  out  and  buy  a  broom  and  wash- 
bowl. There  was  not  such  a  thing  to  be  had  in 
any  of  the  scores  of  villages  around;  the  nearest 
town  where  these  needful  articles  were  purchasa- 
ble was  six  miles  off!  Even  the  houses  of  the 
grandees  would  be  described  as  dirty,  were  it  not 
that  the  inferior  sort  are  so  much  worse.  If  one 
is  seeking  comfort,  the  inn  should  be  visited  for 
the  sake  of  observation  only,  like  opium-dens 
and  prisons.  The  variety  of  the  vermin  is  some- 
times amazing.  Besides  the  smaller  fry  more  com- 
monly known,  there  are  many  kinds  of  spiders, 


I04     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

cockroaches,  black  beetles,  mosquitoes,  rats,  and 
mice,  and  some  travellers  have  even  seen  a  centi- 
pede. I  once  counted  ten  varieties  that  called 
upon  me  in  one  night.  In  addition  to  all  these 
discomforts,  the  sleeping-rooms  often  have  no  win- 
dow to  let  in  air  and  light,  and  sometimes  no  door 
to  keep  out  the  crowd.  A  missionary's  trials  are 
not  many  if  he  is  blessed  with  common  sense, 
good-temper,  and  health,  but  a  night  in  a  Chinese 
inn  is  one  of  them. 

Yet  from  the  missionary  point  of  view  there  is 
another  side  to  the  question.  There  is  no  better 
way  of  studying  native  life  and  character  than  in 
an  inn,  and  no  better  opportunity  of  prolonged 
exposition  of  Christian  truth  to  a  small  and  man- 
ageable audience.  In  the  mission  chapels  the 
missionary  does  not  receive  visits  so  frequently  as 
he  would  like  from  the  class  of  men  who  can  read 
easily  and  who  have  social  influence.  The  liter- 
ati, so  called,  are  shy  of  entering  a  known  Chris- 
tian house.  But  they  will  sometimes  come  to  an 
inn,  and  more  often  they  are  casually  met  with  in 
the  inns,  being  themselves  on  a  journey.  Some 
of  the  best  opportunities  the  writer  has  ever  had 
of  speaking  on  the  Christian  faith  have  been  in 
the  country  inns.  Half  a  dozen  gentlemen  of 
leisure  have  come  to  present  their  respects  to  the 
teacher.     They  accept  the  invitation  to  sit  down 


CHINESE   INNS.  105 

and  sip  tea.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  is  lost  (no,  not 
lost)  in  talking  about  indiflerent  matters  and  the 
customs  of  the  West,  and  after  that  two  hours 
may  be  spent  in  questioning,  instructing,  and  dis- 
cussing. Perhaps  it  is  worth  while  to  endure  the 
domestic  horrors  of  the  inn  for  the  sake  of  the 
facilities  it  presents  for  preparing  the  soil  to  re- 
ceive the  seed. 


Io6     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

THE   CHINESE   NEW  YEAR. 

The  Chinese  take  fewer  holidays  than  any 
nation  under  heaven.  They  have  many  festivals 
in  the  course  of  the  year,  but  these  are  not  gen- 
eral holidays;  they  are  days  of  rest  or  change 
only  to  a  few.  In  fact,  none  of  the  festivals  ex- 
cept that  of  the  New  Year  can  be  described  as 
solemn,  notable,  or  even  particularly  interesting. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  they  do  not  observe 
the  Sabbath.  In  ancient  times  there  is  no  doubt 
that  the  custom  prevailed.  The  national  alma- 
nac, which  is  found  in  every  home,  marks  every 
seventh  day  as  "hidden"  or  honorable.  Curi- 
ously enough,  it  falls  on  the  Christian  Sabbath, 
so  that  the  worshippers  in  our  mission  churches 
have  only  to  look  for  the  "bit-jit"  to  know  that 
it  is  the  day  of  rest  and  worship.  Many  persons 
have  marvelled  that  so  active  and  laborious  a 
people  as  are  the  mass  of  the  Chinese  can  manage 
to  exist  without  stated  periods  of  rest.  But  a 
more  accurate  observer  cannot  fail  to  note  that, 
though  they  are  capable  of  such  great  physical 
energy,  they  are  equally  capable  of  enjoying  pro- 


THE   CIIINKSE   NEW   YEAR.  lOj 

longed  periods  of  leisure.  The  farmer  nominally 
works  from  dawn  to  dusk,  but  he  pauses  twenty 
times  a  day  for  a  few  moments'  whiff  at  his  pipe. 
The  boatman  is  considered  a  hard-working  mor- 
tal, but  he  has  his  leisure  days,  when  the  weather 
keeps  his  fares  indoors.  The  chair-bearer  lives 
the  most  painfully  toilsome  life,  but  he  rests  most 
religiously  for  fifteen  minutes  in  every  hour. 
There  is  no  class  of  the  people,  however  continu- 
ous may  seem  to  be  their  labors,  but  manage  by 
some  means  or  other  to  secure  their  full  share  of 
idle  hours.  We  should  err  indeed  if  we  suggest- 
ed, or  seemed  to  suggest,  that  the  seventh  day  is 
not  needed  as  a  day  of  bodily  rest;  but  at  the  same 
time  we  have  to  remember  that  the  first  and  chief 
aim  of  the  divine  institution  of  the  Sabbath  is  to 
provide  opportunity  for  the  converse  of  man  with 
his  God.  The  soul  needs  its  Sabbath  much  more 
than  the  body.  The  day  is  more  strictly  kept  by 
communion  with  God  than  by  shutting  a  shop. 
It  is  possible  to  break  a  command  in  the  spirit 
even  though  it  is  kept  in  the  letter. 

The  Chinese  New  Year  generally  falls  in  the 
middle  of  February,  or,  more  accurately,  at  the 
time  "when  the  new  moon  comes  nearest  to  the 
point  in  which  the  sun  is  in  fifteen  degrees  of 
Aquarius."  As  the  day  approaches  a  remarkable 
change  takes  place  in  the  appearance  of  the  town. 


I08     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

The  counters  of  the  shops  are  piled  up  with  new 
dresses  and  with  fancy  articles  in  great  variety. 
Second-hand  goods  also  make  their  appearance 
in  considerable  quantities.  These  are  to  be  had 
very  cheap,  for  this  is  the  season  when  all  who 
can  do  so  are  busy  paying  their  debts,  and  clothing 
and  furniture  and  everything  that  can  be  disposed 
of  is  on  sale  to  get  the  requisite  funds.  Business 
is  very  active.  The  provision-shops  are  piled 
with  rich  stores  of  the  comestibles  dear  to  the  pal- 
ate of  the  Celestial.  Furniture-dealers,  carpen- 
ters, and  painters  are  having  a  good  time.  Re- 
spectable but  poverty-stricken  literary  men  are 
busily  engaged  in  writing  mottoes  on  red  paper 
to  affix  to  the  doors  of  shops  and  private  houses. 
New  lanterns  are  hung  over  every  door  where 
the  old  ones  are  grown  shabby.  The  pawnbro- 
kers, pyrotechnists,  incense-makers,  and  priests 
are  full  of  work.  One  thing  in  particular  is 
pleasant  to  see.  All  seem  to  have  taken  a  pledge 
against  their  normal  dirty  habits  and  to  be  stri- 
ving earnestly  for  reform.  As  much  water  is 
used  in  the  week  before  New  Year's  day  as  in 
several  months  before.  The  streets  are  deluged 
with  the  filthy  stream  that  is  being  swept  off  the 
floors  of  the  shops.  On  every  hand  the  year-long 
accumulation  of  mud  is  being  scraped  away. 
The   whole  empire  seems  to   be  recovering   its 


THE  CHINESE   NEW  YEAR.  109 

senses  in  the  matter  of  cleanliness,  in  preparation 
for  the  time  when  it  will  lose  them  again  in  idle- 
ness and  revelry.  The  courts  of  justice  and  all 
public  offices  close  ten  days  before  the  old  year 
ends,  and  do  not  reopen  for  thirty  days,  the  portly 
mandarins  giving  themselves  up  to  recreation  and 
dissipation  for  a  whole  month. 

On  the  first  day  of  the  first  month  the  people 
of  the  Chinese  Empire  become  in  the  aggregate 
some  three  or  four  hundred  millions  of  years  older 
than  they  were  the  day  before.  This  exhausting 
remark  will  need  a  little  explanation. 

The  Chinese  do  not  reckon  their  age  from  the 
day  of  birth,  but  from  New  Year's  day.  It  is  on 
this  account  sometimes  difficult  to  find  out  the 
true  age  of  young  children.  Here  is  a  tiny  sha- 
ven-headed bundle  of  humanity,  scarcely  able  to 
stand  alone  for  a  moment,  and  you  are  gravely 
assured  that  he  is  three  years  old  !  If  you  have 
left  the  sacred  rules  of  propriety  at  home,  you 
venture  mildly  and  politely  to  cast  just  a  faint 
shadow  of  doubt  upon  the  statement;  or  if  you  do 
not  discredit  the  parent's  assertion,  but  are  still 
unacquainted  with  the  mode  of  reckoning,  you 
probably  condole  with  its  parents  on  the  slight 
degree  of  progress  he  has  made  towards  maturity. 
Should  a  child  arrive  in  this  world  at  five  minutes 
to  twelve  on  New  Year's  eve,  the  fond  father  will 


no     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

proudly  assure  you  next  morning  that  the  new 
arrival  is  two  years  old,  and  never  so  much  as 
think  that  what  he  says  is  untrue  !  Seeing  that 
clocks  are  very  scarce  articles  except  along  the 
coast,  and  that  even  where  a  clock  is  found  time 
is  a  very  elastic  and  variable  quantity,  one  won- 
ders how  such  matters  are  determined  in  certain 
cases.  Perhaps  the  parents  give  the  child  the 
benefit  of  the  doubt  in  their  eagerness  to  add 
years  to  his  life.  The  Chinese  do  not  conceal 
their  age  as  English  men  and  English  women  do, 
nor  do  they  ever  try  to  represent  themselves  as 
younger  than  they  are.  There  is  a  much  stronger 
tendency  to  add  to  the  stated  number  of  their 
years  than  to  diminish  it.  On  being  introduced 
to  a  new  acquaintance,  the  first  question  is,  "  What 
is  your  distinguished  surname?"  and  the  second 
is,  "What  is  your  honorable  age?"  You  reply 
to  one  as  readily  as  to  the  other.  Age  is  so  much 
respected  that  it  is  considered  a  distinction  to  be 
advancing  in  years.  There  are  eight  or  ten  dif- 
ferent names  which  correspond  to  "Sir"  or 
"Mr.,"  according  to  the  appearance  of  age  or 
real  age  to  which  a  man  has  attained,  and  the 
same  for  women.  Besides,  it  is  a  matter  of  greater 
congratulation  as  years  go  by  that  one  has  been 
spared  to  add  another  year  to  the  term  of  life. 
We  may  note  that  there  are  several  similarities 


THE   CHINESE   NEW  YEAR.  Ill 

between  the  customs  of  the  Hebrews  and  of  the 
Chinese  in  their  New  Year  ceremonies.  Feast- 
ing, leisure,  congratulations,  visits  of  ceremony, 
interchange  of  gifts,  special  acts  of  worship — all 
afford  points  of  correspondence.  So  does  the  cus- 
tom of  writing  and  pasting  up  mottoes  and  prayers 
and  good  wishes.  "  Thou  shalt  write  them  upon 
the  posts  of  thy  house  and  on  thy  gates"  (Dent. 
6:9),  is  fulfilled  very  literally  by  the  Chinese. 
Not  less  so  is  this  custom  of  reckoning  periods  of 
time  from  the  New  Year.  All  the  reckonings  of 
dates  by  the  Hebrews  were  from  the  beginning  of 
the  year.  In  China  all  calculations  are  made  on 
this  principle.  The  length  of  the  reign  of  the 
emperor,  the  term  of  official  service,  the  engage- 
ment of  servants,  the  period  of  residence  in  a 
locality — all  are  dated  from  the  New^  Year.  How- 
ever brief  may  be  the  portion  of  time  that  belongs 
to  the  old  or  new  year,  it  is  reckoned  as  a  full 
year. 

Now  is  the  time  for  settling  accounts  with 
gods  and  men.  All  running  bills  must  be  paid 
up.  Bankruptcy  becomes  very  common,  because 
firms  cannot  by  any  means  meet  their  liabilities 
in  time.  It  is  considered  disgraceful  not  to  have 
fully  arranged  one's  affairs  by  the  close  of  the  old 
year.  Ordinary  methods  of  meeting  their  engage- 
ments failing  to  set  them  clear,  they  betake  them- 

7 

Kiver  ami  Koad  in  Cliina.  ' 


112     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

selves  to  the  plan  of  borrowing  of  Peter  to  pay 
Paul.  It  is  a  splendid  plan  for  the  pawnbrokers, 
money-lenders,  and  bankers.  The  old  account  is 
closed  with  the  new  creditor  on  the  first  day  of 
the  first  month.  One  natural  result  of  the  en- 
deavor to  clear  off"  all  old  scores  at  a  fixed  time  is 
that  theft  is  extremely  common  during  the  twelfth 
month.  The  festive  season  is  always  heralded  by 
reports  on  every  hand  of  pilfering  and  burglary. 
Travelling  by  land  and  by  water  is  avoided  as 
much  as  possible  because  of  banditti  in  the  hills 
and  pirates  on  the  river.  Native  friends  will 
often  seriously  remonstrate  with  the  missionary 
for  venturing  "up  country"  as  the  year  nears  its 
close;  and  whether  he  meets  with  mishap  or  not, 
he  must  be  content  to  pay  double  fees  to  boatmen 
and  chair-bearers  who  fear,  or  affect  to  fear,  the 
dangers  against  which  they  warn  him. 

At  this  season  the  Chinese  endeavor  to  make 
all  comfortable  with  the  gods.  Those  who  have 
any  consciousness  of  sin  (there  are  not  many),  or 
those  who  have  a  vague  dread  lest  they  will  be 
overtaken  by  calamity  for  their  misdeeds,  seek  to 
propitiate  the  gods  by  doing  their  worship  in  the 
gross  at  the  end  of  the  year.  Having  neglected 
the  gods  for  nearly  twelve  months,  they  become 
eager  to  propitiate  them.  Priests  are  engaged  to 
pray  for  the  pardon  of  sins  and  to  preside  at  the 


THE   CHINESE    NEW  YEAR.  II3 

offering  of  sacrifices.     Prayers  are  written  out  on 
red  paper  and  pasted  on  the  doors  of  houses. 

On  New  Year's  morning  the  civil  and  mili- 
tary mandarins  do  homage  before  the  shrine  of 
the  reigning  emperor.  Where  there  is,  as  in  Can- 
ton, a  temple  dedicated  to  the  emperor,  the  offi- 
cials, high  and  low,  proceed  in  state,  attended  by 
bands  of  music  and  multitudes  of  underlings,  and 
prostrate  themselves  before  the  temple  which  con- 
tains the  imperial  tablet. 

He  must  be  a  sorrowful  or  an  eccentric  China- 
man who  would  retire  to  rest  on  New  Year's  eve 
without  waiting  for  the  midnight  display  of  fire- 
works. At  that  hour  such  feu  de  joie  of  crackers 
breaks  upon  the  ear  as  would  satisfy  the  most  ar- 
dent supporter  of  the  noisy  and  sulphurous  rites 
that  we  ourselves  are  accustomed  to  observe  on 
one  day  in  every  year.  The  reader,  when  we 
write  of  crackers,  must  not  picture  to  himself 
those  tiny,  twisted  articles  purchasable  at  a  small 
stationer's  shop  for  a  penny.  A  Chinese  cracker 
is  a  much  more  formidable  and  demonstrative, 
though  incomparably  cheaper  article.  It  is  a  tube 
an  inch  long  and  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  made 
of  stout  pasteboard  and  covered  with  red  paper. 
A  handful  of  such  crackers  is  arranged  along  a 
string.  To  be  fired  the  bunch  is  suspended  from 
a  short  pole.     A  hundred  such  crackers  would  be 


114     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUII-KIEN: 

a  very  moderate  number  to  let  off  at  a  time.  It 
is  not  unfrequently  the  case  that  the  string  bears 
materials  for  a  running  fusillade  of  a  thousand  ex- 
plosions. The  object  of  the  use  of  crackers  is  said 
to  be  to  frighten  away  evil  spirits.  If  it  alarmed 
the  spirits  at  all  one  would  rather  be  inclined  to 
believe  that  not  the  evil  but  the  good  spirits 
would  be  driven  off  by  such  an  outrageous  noise. 
There  is  no  doubt  whatever  that  very  few  China- 
men think  of  evil  spirits  when  they  fire  crackers. 
They  are  a  nation  of  grown-up  children  and  take 
the  simple  delight  of  children  in  the  clamorous 
and  fiery  demonstration.  But  all  consider  it  un- 
lucky not  to  fire  the  biggest  possible  salvo  at  the 
change  of  year.  So  large  a  quantity  is  used  that 
the  farmers  come  into  town  to  sweep  up  the  refuse 
paper  for  manure. 

The  women  folks  have  been  busy  for  weeks  in 
preparing  the  various  edibles  that  are  to  be  dis- 
posed of  during  the  series  of  festival  meals.  The 
most  common  of  all  is  a  cake  made  of  ground  rice, 
spread  upon  a  flat  surface  to  dry.  These  cakes 
and  other  kinds  of  food  are  now  piled  upon  dishes 
and  trays,  awaiting  the  proper  hour  for  the  begin- 
ning of  the  feast. 

In  respectable  households,  where  the  proprie- 
ties are  honored,  the  former  half  of  the  night  is 
spent  in  preparation  for  the  usual  sacred  ceremo- 


THE   CHINESE    NEW   YEAR.  I15 

nies,  and  the  latter  half  in  the  performance  of 
them.  The  shrine  of  the  family  idols  is  decorated 
with  vases  containing  the  fragrant  gourd  called 
the  "Hand  of  Buddha  "  and  flowers  of  hyacinth 
and  narcissus.  The  bulbs  have  been  placed  in 
dishes  filled  with  water  and  small  stones,  and 
timed  to  be  in  full  bloom  precisely  at  the  New 
Year.  Artificial  flowers,  wonderfully  like  real 
ones,  and  small,  quaint-looking  shrubs  are  placed 
in  suitable  positions.  The  air  is  heavy  with  the 
fragrance  of  incense  made  of  sandal-wood.  Then, 
from  midnight  to  dawn,  various  solemn  services 
are  performed,  of  which  the  following  is  the  brief- 
est possible  summary : 

First  of  all  is  the  sacrifice  to  "Heaven  and 
Earth"  at  about  three  a.  m.  A  table  is  spread 
in  front  of  the  three- walled  "guest-room"  or  hall, 
in  a  spot  open  to  the  sky.  A  bucket  of  rice,  ten 
bowls  of  vegetables,  ten  cups  of  tea,  two  large  red 
candles,  three  sticks  of  incense,  ten  pairs  of  chop- 
sticks, and  a  copy  of  the  almanac  for  the  current 
year  are  placed  upon  the  table.  Mock  money, 
representing  gold  and  silver  coinage,  is  burned  as 
an  offering.  The  head  of  the  family  kneels  in 
front  of  the  table,  holding  in  his  right  hand  three 
sticks  of  incense.  Knocking  his  head  three  times 
on  the  floor,  he  expresses  his  thanks  to  "  Heaven 
and  Earth"  for  past  favors  and  entreats  a  contin- 


Il6     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

nance  of  them.  Towards  daybreak  the  sacrifice 
is  ofTered  to  the  idols  of  the  house.  On  the  table 
are  rice,  vegetables,  fruit,  tea,  wine,  candles,  and 
incense  as  before,  but  in  smaller  quantities.  The 
same  ceremony  is  then  performed  before  the  tab- 
lets of  deceased  ancestors. 

But  the  fourth  and  last  of  these  heathen  matins 
is  the  most  curious  of  all,  viz. ,  prostration  of  the 
junior  members  of  the  family  before  their  survi- 
ving parents  and  grandparents.  The  elders  sit  in 
turn  to  receive  the  devotion  of  their  offspring.  If 
both  grandparents  or  both  parents  are  alive  they 
sit  side  by  side,  while  the  young  or  younger  peo- 
ple prostrate  themselves  at  their  feet  three  times 
and  congratulate  them  on  having  survived  to  the 
beginning  of  another  year.  Whether  this  should 
be  called  the  "worship"  of  elders  or  not  is  a  point 
open  to  discussion.  But  no  sacrifice  of  food  or 
money  is  used  in  it,  nor  are  candles  or  incense- 
sticks  lighted.  It  only  happens  that  the  same 
word,  pai^  is  used  in  speaking  of  the  reverence 
given  to  parents  and  of  the  worship  of  the  gods. 
Uncles  and  aunts  stand  to  receive  the  congratula- 
tions of  the  young. 

In  Amoy  the  custom  of  "surrounding  the  fur- 
nace" takes  place  at  about  this  point  in  the  pro- 
ceedings. A  charcoal  fire  is  lighted  in  an  earthen 
pan  and  placed  under  the  table.      The  various 


THE   CHINESE    NEW   YEAR.  II7 

members  of  the  family  then  sit  around  it  and  take 
a  slight  refreshment.  It  is  said  that  there  is  a  be- 
lief that  such  a  ceremony  protects  the  house  from 
fire  for  the  coming  year;  but  it  is  open  to  question 
whether  the  practice  does  not  rather  signify  the 
union  of  the  household  around  one  common 
hearth. 

New  Year's  morning  is  the  only  really  quiet 
time  in  a  Chinese  street  in  the  whole  year.  The 
merrymakers  have  not  yet  got  up.  Everything 
seems  changed  about  the  town.  The  most  famil- 
iar streets  wear  an  unfamiliar  aspect.  We  are 
struck  by  their  width.  The  stalls  and  counters 
have  been  taken  indoors,  making  the  street  so 
many  feet  wider.  All  the  shops  are  closed;  no 
goods  are  being  carried ;  dogs,  pigs,  and  chickens 
are  safely  housed  inside  with  their  owners.  The 
stone  road  has  a  crimson  carpet,  formed  by  the 
remnants  of  myriads  of  exploded  crackers;  crim- 
son cloth  hangs  in  festoons  along  the  street,  and 
crimson  sheets  of  paper  with  the  word  "Hok" 
(happiness)  written  upon  them  give  their  benedic- 
tion to  the  passer-by. 

Mingled  with  this  blaze  of  crimson  are  quieter 
colors.  The  shutters  of  almost  every  shop  are 
decorated  with  numberless  strips  of  perforated 
yellow  paper,  offerings  of  gratitude  from  thank- 
ful merchants  to  the  spirits  which  have  prospered 


Il8     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

them  through  another  3'ear.  Here  and  there  we 
see  a  strip  of  bhie  paper,  which,  with  the  pathetic 
eloquence  of  silence,  declares  that  death  has  vis- 
ited this  home  during  the  past  year  and  that  the 
new  year  is  not  all  gladness  to  them.  Such 
mourners  remain  at  home  to-day  instead  of  going 
out  to  make  formal  calls. 

Those,  however,  who  are  detained  at  home  by 
no  such  sorrowful  causes  begin  to  leave  their 
homes  by  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  and 
from  twelve  till  three  or  four  the  streets  are  gay. 
All  are  decked  out  in  their  most  gorgeous  apparel. 
These  beautiful  dresses  have  in  many  cases  been 
deposited  for  a  whole  year  in  the  lofty,  fortress- 
like  pawn-shop,  and  were  only  taken  out  a  day 
or  two  ago.  When  the  festive  season  is  over  back 
will  2:0  the  dresses  for  another  twelvemonth,  or 
until  the  next  social  or  domestic  feast ;  for  the 
pawn-shop  is  a  great  institution  in  China — bank, 
money-lending  establishment,  depository,  pan- 
technicon— and  is  certainly  the  only  place  in  a 
Chinese  town  where  moth  and  rust  do  not  cor- 
rupt and  where  thieves  have  no  hope  of  breaking 
through  to  steal. 

To-day  a  man  can  scarcely  recognize  his  own 
servants,  they  are  so  splendidly  arrayed.  Even 
your  coolie  who  sweeps  the  house,  washes  the 
floor,  and  attends  to  your  garden,  for  a  considera- 


Tin-    CriINESH    NEW  YEAR.  II9 

tion  of  twelve  shillings  and  sixi^ence  a  month, 
feeding  himself  and  family  on  that  ^Dittance,  may 
be  seen  clothed  in  purple  and  fine  linen  just  for 
this  one  day  of  the  year.  Pompous  gentlemen 
are  strolling  along,  waddling  like  ducks  either 
through  weight  of  flesh  or  sense  of  glory  ;  or  they 
are  riding  in  sedan-chairs,  with  an  air  of  impor- 
tance, carrying  in  their  hands  red  visiting-cards 
seven  inches  long,  as  they  go  to  present  their  good 
wishes  to  kinsmen  and  acquaintance.  Friends  of 
equal  rank  meeting  thus  in  the  streets  this  morn- 
ing bow  profoundly  to  one  another  and  shake 
their  own  closed  hands,  after  the  fashion  of  the 
land,  in  courteous  salutation.  Persons  of  lower 
social  rank,  meeting  a  superior,  pause  in  their 
walk  for  a  second  or  so  as  he  passes ;  or  if  the 
great  man  is  very  great,  the  humble  individual 
will  fall  on  one  knee  for  a  moment. 

The  ceremonial  to  be  observed  in  making  a 
formal  call  is  laid  down  with  the  utmost  exact- 
ness in  the  "  Book  of  Rites,"  one  of  the  classical 
works  most  reverenced  of  all  in  China.  It  is  a 
work  which  has  had  its  beneficial  use  in  giving  a 
staidness  and  courtesy  to  Chinese  manners  which 
it  is  impossible  not  to  admire ;  though,  on  the 
other  hand,  it  gradually  took  the  place  of  what 
ought  to  be  more  real  and  less  formal,  the  genial- 
ity and  charity  that  are  distinctive  of  all  true 


I20     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

Christianity.  The  "Book  of  Rites"  is  to  the 
Chinaman  a  sacred  text-book  of  good  manners. 
It  teaches  him  what  to  do  and  what  to  avoid. 
"  He  does  not  know  the  proprieties,"  is  the  most 
stinging  rebuke  that  can  issue  from  Chinese  lips. 
Reviling  and  abuse  are  mild  compared  with  the 
rebuff,  "You  are  a  not-know-the-Rites-man." 
The  ancient  teachers  saw  that  the  natures  of  men 
were  very  diverse,  and  sought  to  harmonize  them 
and  reduce  them  to  order  and  similarity  by  laying 
stress  on  the  outward  forms  which  are  prescribed 
by  the  "Book  of  Rites."  In  the  present  day  these 
customs  are  diligently  guarded  and  expounded  by 
a  special  Government  office,  the  Li-Pu^  or  Board 
of  Ceremonial.  Such  customs  give  a  very  agree- 
able veneer  and  polish  to  the  outward  manners  ot 
the  people;  but  those  who  know  the  people  best 
feel  the  most  painfully  that  the  elegant  ceremo- 
nies cover  up  laxity  of  moral  life  as  complete  and 
terrible  as  that  of  the  Pharisaic  impostors  whom 
He  who  "knew  what  was  in  man"  described  as 
"  whited  sepulchres." 

It  is  an  interesting  sight,  however,  to  see  the 
Chinese  gentry  calling  on  one  another.  The  vis- 
iting-card for  the  New  Year  has  generally  a  pic- 
ture in  outline  stamped  upon  the  red  paper,  rep- 
resenting emblematically  the  three  things  most 
desired  by  a  Chinaman.      These   are   offspring, 


THE   CHINESE    NEW  YEAR.  121 

official  employment,  and  longevity  —  the  Sam- 
Iiok^  or  Three  Happinesses,  as  they  are  commonly 
called.  Offspring  is  betokened  by  the  figure  of  a 
child;  official  position  by  the  person  of  a  manda- 
rin at  the  extreme  of  obesity;  and  long  life  by  an 
aged  man  attended  by  a  stork,  the  emblem  in 
China  of  length  of  days.  On  entering  a  house 
every  person  within  sight  and  hearing  shouts 
Kiong-hi  (congratulations).  A  great  amount  of 
time  and  energy  is  expended  by  the  host  in  the 
apparently  vain  endeavor  to  persuade  the  visitor 
to  sit  in  the  seat  of  honor.  He  protests,  "  I  dare 
not,  I  dare  not,"  meaning  that  it  would  be  pre- 
sumption on  his  part  to  occupy  so  distinguished 
a  place.  Suffering  himself  at  length  to  be  per- 
suaded, tea  or  extract  of  ginseng  is  ready  to  be 
presented  ;  perhaps  also  a  pipe  of  tobacco  is  in- 
dulged in.  After  a  short  time  spent  in  the  very 
sublimation  of  small  and  formal  talk  he  takes  his 
departure  to  "bestow  the  illumination  of  his  dis- 
tinguished countenance"  on  some  other  fortu- 
nate acquaintance.  As  he  quits  the  house  the 
visitor  exclaims  to  the  host,  "Pray  be  seated," 
i.  e.,  "Don't  honor  me  by  walking  to  the  door;" 
and  the  host  says  to  his  guest,  "Walk  slowly," 
or,  in  other  words,  "Don't  break  my  heart  by 
leaving  me  so  suddenly." 

The  New  Year  is  the  time  for  the  exchange  of 


122     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

presents  between  friends.  Tradesmen  send  snb- 
stantial  gifts  to  their  customers.  Parties  who 
have  fallen  out  may  venture  to  renew  overtures 
of  regard  by  trying  the  effect  of  a  formal  inter- 
change of  courtesies  in  the  form  of  a  roll  of  new 
cloth  or  a  goose  or  a  pile  of  pastry.  The  most 
common  gifts  at  this  season  are  rare  fruits,  sweet- 
meats, fine  tea,  silk  stuffs,  or  ornaments  of  vari- 
ous kinds.  The  receiver  is  also  expected  to  re- 
turn a  present.  In  each  case  a  red  slip  of  paper 
is  sent  with  the  article,  on  which  is  written  a  list 
of  the  gifts  with  the  name  of  the  sender  and  some 
flowery  compliment.  To  decline  to  receive  these 
presents  is  regarded  as  a  serious  affront;  but  the 
receiver  may,  if  he  choose,  return  a  part,  sending 
with  the  portion  returned  a  note  in  which  are  the 
words,  "We  dare  not  presume  to  accept  such 
precious  gifts." 

Now  is  the  harvesting  season  of  jugglers,  acro- 
bats, and  play-actors.  These  gentlemen  are  in 
full  work  and  make  money  freely.  At  no  other 
time  can  they  get  a  group  of  spectators  so  com- 
pletely at  leisure  or  so  flush  of  coin.  The  per- 
formance which  we  call  a  "Punch  and  Judy 
show"  is  also  much  appreciated  by  an  admiring 
public.  Little  open  spaces  where  several  streets 
meeting  have  formed  a  square,  the  broader  area 
among  private  houses,  the  pleasant  spot  around  a 


THE  CHINESE   NEW  YEAR.  1 25 

banyan-tree,  or  the  open  hillside  where  the  holi- 
day-makers are  strolling-,  are  occupied  by  the 
quick-fingered,  lithe-limbed,  and  screaming  pro- 
fessionals. 

But  what  strikes  us  most  of  all,  perhaps,  at 
this  festive  season  is  that  a  large  proportion  of 
the  populace  seem  to  have  given  themselves  up 
to  gambling.  At  every  few  steps  we  come  upon 
a  group  of  eager  men  bending  over  a  small  table 
playing  with  the  dice.  Sometimes  it  is  thrown  on 
the  flat  table  and  sometimes  into  a  rice -bowl. 
Close  by  a  wheel  of  fortune  is  revolving,  and  cash 
is  freely  changing  hands.  Through  many  open 
doors  we  see  the  inmates  of  the  houses  indulging 
in  the  same  pastime.  It  is  true  that  gambling  is 
not  permitted  by  the  law  of  the  land,  but  the 
magistrates  are  in  the  same  festive  state  of  mind 
as  the  vulgar  sort,  and  wink  at  all  improprieties 
of  this  kind  which  they  see  at  the  New  Year. 
Are  not  the  magistrates'  yamens  closed  for  a 
whole  month?  And  are  mandarins  not  mortal, 
that  they  should  not  be  allowed  to  disport  them- 
selves like  meaner  men  ?  The  people  may  do  as 
they  please,  provided  they  do  not  disturb  the  offi- 
cial mind;  and  men  and  children  of  all  ages  re- 
gard this  season  of  idleness  as  the  time  when  they 
may  give'  themselves  up  uninterruptedly  to  this 
exciting  and  demoralizing  sport. 


126     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

Very  little  work  is  done  for  a  whole  week. 
Those  whose  purses  are  well  lined  continue  to 
feast  and  to  enjoy  their  leisure  for  as  much  as  a 
fortnight  and  more  ;  and  the  richer  classes  eat 
and  sleep,  sleep  and  eat,  as  though  they  would 
have  little  chance  of  doing  either  during  the  com- 
ing eleven  months.  All  classes  in  Amoy  are  said 
to  have  a  superstitious  dread  of  spending  money 
for  three  days,  except  for  odds  and  ends,  such  as 
candles,  incense,  sweetmeats,  and  peanuts.  An 
artisan  or  farm  laborer  expects  to  receive  twice  or 
thrice  as  much  as  usual  for  a  day's  work.  Fail- 
ure would  follow  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  an 
employer  to  compel  his  men  to  work.  They 
would  quietly  leave  him  and  come  back  when 
they  chose.  Englishmen  and  others  in  China, 
holding  this  great  national  celebration  in  con- 
tempt, have  sometimes  endeavored  to  ignore  it 
and  to  keep  open  their  business  premises  as  usual, 
but  China  declares  that  she  will  not  work  for  at 
least  a  week,  and  the  foreigner  must  of  necessity 
take  a  holiday  also.  By  the  end  of  a  week  one 
shop  here  and  another  there  begin  to  transact 
business  in  a  sleepy,  leisurely  fashion,  and  after 
the  space  of  yet  another  week  the  streets  have  re- 
sumed almost  entirely  their  wonted  appearance  of 
toil  and  bustle. 


HABITS  AND  MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.     127 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    HABITS    AND    MANNERS    OF    JOHN    CHINA- 
MAN. 

There  is  nothing  more  difficult  for  any  one, 
of  whatever  nationality  he  be,  than  to  form  a  fair, 
impartial,  and  liberal  estimate  of  the  characteris- 
tics and  character  of  a  foreign  people.  Perhaps 
that  tendency  on  the  part  of  the  Briton  which  the 
Frenchman  delights  to  call  "insular"  makes  such 
a  charitable  judgment  more  difficult  to  us  than  to 
the  representatives  of  some  nations  whose  habits 
are  more  cosmopolitan  than  ours.  National  pre- 
judice is  one  of  the  most  exacting  of  sentiments : 
it  makes  demands  upon  strangers  which  are  alto- 
gether unreasonable.  It  is  also  most  deluding : 
it  prevents  our  seeing  the  real  virtues  of  those 
whose  national  habits  differ  from  our  own. 

John  Bull  has  recently  adopted  Bret  Harte's 
ballad  on  Ah  Sin  of  San  Francisco  as  his  opinion 
of  the  Chinaman. 

"  For  ways  that  are  dark 
And  tricks  that  are  vain, 
The  heathen  Chinee  is  peculiar." 

A  capital  jest  is  quoted  as  a  sufficient  summary 
of  the  moral  qualities  of  one-third  of  the  human 


128     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   KUII-KIEN. 

race.  Forgetful  of  the  fact,  if  it  ever  occurred 
to  him,  that  merchants  in  China  have  to  do  al- 
most entirely  with  a  class  of  men  who  enter  the 
service  of  the  foreigner  for  no  other  reason  than 
to  make  as  much  as  possible  out  of  him,  they  ac- 
cept the  testimony  of  men  who  cannot  speak  Chi- 
nese and  who  never  once  sat  at  table  with  a  Chi- 
naman except  on  some  special  and  festive  occa- 
sion. Seamen  are  still  less  able  to  give  a  just 
opinion  on  the  subject,  since  only  the  riff-raff  of 
the  population  of  a  port  come  about  a  vessel,  and 
the  points  of  connection  between  the  shipping 
and  the  shore  are  often  of  the  lowest  kind.  Who 
would  like  to  have  Englishmen  judged  by  the 
hobblers  of  the  quays  and  the  '"longshoremen" 
of  Liverpool,  Newcastle,  or  London?  Farthest  of 
all  from  the  facts  is  a  judgment  founded  upon  con- 
tact with  Chinese  immigrants  in  California,  Aus- 
tralia, or  the  Straits  Settlements,  seeing  that  the 
larger  proportion  of  such  men  are  the  very  poor 
and  uneducated,  and  no  small  number  have  es- 
caped from  the  penalties  of  the  law  or  have  thrown 
off  their  family  obligations. 

Two  things  we  venture  to  affirm:  first,  that 
the  mass  of  the  people  will  be  appreciated  the 
more  highly  the  better  they  are  known ;  and  sec- 
ondly, that  the  higher  the  personal  character  of 
the   critic,   whether   missionary   or   layman,    the 


HABITS  AND  MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.    129 

more  favorable  is  his  estimate.  There  are  men 
of  exacting  and  jaundiced  temperament  in  every 
class  who  are  never  pleased  and  always  suspi- 
cious. But  almost  without  exception,  as  far  as 
our  observation  has  gone,  the  merchants  and  oth- 
ers residing  in  China  who  live  consistent  religious 
lives  are  admirers  of  the  Chinese,  and  the  mis- 
sionaries who  are  doing  their  work  with  the  best 
temper  and  success  are  the  men  who  hold  the  na- 
tives in  the  highest  esteem,  finding  not  only  much 
to  admire,  but  even  much  to  love.  Only  two  or 
three  missionaries  have  we  ever  known  who  did 
not  hold  the  Chinese  in  general  respect ;  and  in 
the  writer's  humble  judgment  it  would  have  been 
best  for  the  mission  cause  for  those  brethren  to 
retire  from  the  field. 

My  first  experience  with  the  Chinese  trader 
taught  me  a  severe  lesson  for  which  I  have  often 
been  very  thankful.  On  reaching  my  station  I 
was  early  assured  by  an  acquaintance  that  the 
Chinese  were  a  nation  of  liars,  that  every  shop- 
keeper was  a  swindler  by  a  law  of  nature,  and 
that  there  was  no  exception  to  the  rule.  A  day 
or  two  after  I  sent  to  ask  a  tradesman  to  submit 
certain  specimens  of  his  art  to  my  inspection.  He 
brought  them  wrapped  up  in  a  large  blue  hand- 
kerchief. I  was  surprised  at  the  long  price,  and 
jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  this  was  one  of 

Elver  anil  Koad  in  China.  ft 


130     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

those  universal  swindlers  who  had  a  lower  price 
for  the  initiated.  I  ventured  to  suggest  that  the 
charge  was  exorbitant.  We  discussed  the  matter 
for  a  few  moments,  and  when  he  saw  I  was  firm 
the  goods  were  hastily  heaped  into  the  blue  hand- 
kerchief and  the  merchant  was  on  his  way  home 
before  I  could  realize  that  I  was  snubbed.  It  was 
a  small  matter,  but  it  made  me  very  careful  and 
observant,  and  led  to  my  forming  a  higher  esti- 
mate of  the  truthfulness  and  integrity  of  those 
with  whom  I  was  more  immediately  associated. 
The  man  who  is  deceived  and  robbed  has  gener- 
ally laid  himself  open  to  it.  A  hard  master  makes 
unreliable  and  pilfering  servants.  Bad  temper  in 
an  employer  lowers  the  character  of  the  employes. 
Niggardliness  excites  them  to  reprisals,  and  lav- 
ish expenditure  presents  temptations  which  only 
a  man  of  the  highest  moral  tone  is  able  to  resist. 

Let  us  see  what  can  be  said  in  favor  of  the 
much-abused  Chinaman,  while  at  the  same  time 
accusing  him  as  much  as  may  be  found  necessary 
for  his  faults. 

I.  His  filial  piety  is  so  well  known  that  a  very 
few  words  about  it  will  suffice.  From  the  time 
that  a  child  can  walk  he  is  trained  in  reverence 
for  his  parents.  The  "Book  of  Rites"  teaches 
that  he  must  bow  to  his  parents  when  he  enters 
the  room,  and  must  rise  to  his  feet  when  they 


HABITS  AND  MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.     13I 

come  in.  He  respectfully  addresses  his  mother 
as  "venerable  mother,"  and  his  father  as  "ven- 
erable father"  or  "great  mandarin."  Very  ex- 
act attention  is  paid  to  parental  rights  and  claims. 
No  doubt  there  are  plenty  of  disobedient  sons  and 
daughters,  but  there  are  comparatively  few  who 
would  venture  to  treat  their  parents  badly.  Very 
rarely  does  one  hear  of  the  crime  of  wilful  neglect 
of  aged  parents  by  their  children.  The  whole 
neighborhood  would  be  shocked  by  such  a  state 
of  things.  The  son  who  would  dare  to  do  so 
would  be  practically  outlawed. 

The  filial  sentiment  is  woven  into  the  very 
constitution  of  the  nation,  in  its  social  and  impe- 
rial, as  well  as  its  domestic,  relations.  Obedience 
and  respect  are  claimed  by  the  superior  social 
class  from  those  below  it.  While  there  are  no 
other  people  in  the  world  so  absolutely  democratic 
in  their  social  and  domestic  habits,  there  are  none 
more  autocratic  in  their  belief  in  "superiors." 
In  theory  regard  paid  to  superiors  is  to  be  the  re- 
sult of  "filial  piety."  The  rulers  are,  in  common 
parlance,  the  "  father- mother"  of  the  people. 
Through  the  various  grades  from  the  family  as 
the  unit  to  the  elders  of  a  ward,  the  inferior  man- 
darins, the  mayors,  the  district  and  prefectural 
rulers,  the  viceroys,  the  ministers  of  state,  and 
the  emperor,  each  class  is  expected  to  give  filial 


132     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUII-KIEN. 

obedience  with  a  willing  mind.  Even  when  the 
grinding  extortions  of  unjust  magistrates  drive 
them  to  the  use  of  a  cruel  phrase  instead  of  "  fa- 
ther-mother," and  they  groan  or  hiss  the  term 
'* lion-tiger"  with  flashing  eyes  and  a  significant 
nod  of  the  head,  they  seem  still  to  regard  the  offi- 
cials with  some  feeling  of  respectful  awe.  This  sen- 
timent of  filial  piety  is  ingrained  in  their  nature, 
imbibed  with  their  mothers'  milk,  and  transmitted 
from  generation  to  generation.  There  seems  no 
reason  to  doubt  that  it  is  chiefly  this  beautiful  and 
wise  sentiment  which  has  held  the  nation  together 
these  four  thousand  years. 

2.  It  must  also  be  said  for  the  Chinaman  that 
he  is  a  most  moderate  and  peaceable  man.  Although 
no  country  has  endured  more  rebellions  and  revo- 
lutions, it  is  still  true  that  he  does  not  care  for 
fighting,  and  is  willing  to  give  all  men  their  due. 
Now  and  then  local  disturbances  take  place  that 
seem  directly  to  contradict  this.  Feuds  between 
different  clans,  quarrels  about  graves  and  idols, 
wild  superstitions  that  goad  a  neighborhood  to 
madness,  sometimes  cause  a  temporary  outbreak. 

Several  years  ago,  in  a  village  near  Amoy, 
rival  idols  were  being  carried  in  procession.  The 
paths  converged  to  a  point  a  little  way  out  of  the 
village.  The  persons  forming  the  processions 
caught  sight  of  one  another  and  ran  towards  the 


HABITS  AND    MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.     133 

junction  of  the  paths  to  see  which  could  get  the 
precedence.  They  came  into  collision,  indulged 
in  a  little  fighting,  and  began  a  quarrel  which 
lasted  fourteen  months.  Thirty-two  villages  be- 
came involved.  A  tax  was  levied  upon  them  by 
the  elders  of  the  villages  for  the  purchase  of  fire- 
arms and  ammunition.  Sentries  were  placed  at 
the  top  of  square  towers  to  shoot  at  any  of  the 
hostile  party  that  might  venture  into  the  fields. 
The  seeds  could  not  be  sown.  The  standing  crops 
could  not  be  reaped.  Two  small  cannon  were 
bought  in  Amoy,  and  with  these  they  amused 
themselves  occasionally  in  battering  a  wall  or  a 
roof.  Great  damage  was  done.  The  whole  neigh- 
borhood was  reduced  to  distress.  Where  were  the 
mandarins?  Calmly  waiting  till  some  one  was 
killed.  When  that  event  occurred,  and  was  mul- 
tiplied by  twenty-two,  the  district  mandarin  be- 
came indignant,  sent  three  thousand  troops  to 
take  possession,  levied  blackmail  on  all  the  vil- 
lages involved,  and  retreated  with  the  spoil.* 

*  It  will  interest  the  Christian  reader  to  know  that  the  London 
Mission  has  a  station  in  the  village  in  which  the  outbreak  took 
place.  The  small  church  suffered  severely  from  the  hands  of  per- 
secutors. They  altogether  declined  to  make  contributions  towards 
the  purchase  of  materials  of  war.  "  No,"  they  said  ;  "  if  you  elders 
will  levy  a  tax  for  mending  the  roads  or  for  relieving  widows  and 
orphans,  we  will  give  twice  and  thrice  as  much  as  any  one  else, 
but  we  will  not  give  money  to  do  mischief  to  our  neighbors." 
Three  times  in  the  fourteen  months  the  day  was  appointed  for 


134     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

Such  serious  disturbances  as  these  are  sadly 
common,  and  the  cruelties  perpetrated  are  some- 
times of  the  most  barbarous  nature.  And  yet  it 
is  no  less  true  that  the  Chinaman  loves  peace  and 
quietness  and  is  singularly  gentle.  He  shrinks 
from  beginning  a  quarrel  of  his  own,  and  stands 
in  terrible  fear  of  being  mixed  up  in  those  of  his 
neighbors.  The  "Three  Happinesses"  are  long 
life,  wealth,  and  a  family  of  sons.  If  he  is 
allowed  to  earn  his  living  quietly  and  to  bring  up 
a  family  who  in  their  turn  will  provide  for  him, 
he  is  perfectly  content.  The  average  Chinaman 
is  remarkably  temperate  in  his  habits  and  opin- 
ions. Centuries  and  millenniums  of  very  fair 
ethical  instruction,  especially  in  the  duty  of  so- 
briety in  act  and  word  (the  favorite  exhortation  of 
Confucius  and  his  followers),  have  done  as  much 
for  the  Chinese  as  could  be  expected.  Geniality, 
good  temper,  sociability,  affectionateness,  and 
hospitality  are  characteristic  of  the  mass  of  the 
people.  One  is  constantly  struck  with  the  free- 
dom from  constraint  among  them.  A  merrier, 
more  jovial,  and  more  contented  people  do  not 
exist  under  heaven.  They  talk  as  though  they 
had  no  secrets.    They  relate  to  a  stranger  in  their 

their  assassination,  but  they  did  not  run  away,  and  on  only  two 
Sundays  did  they  fail  to  meet  for  worship.  They  were  robbed  of 
furniture  and  field  produce,  but  stood  firm  in  the  faith. 


HABITS  AND  MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.      135 

loudest  key  their  private  and  public  experiences. 
Whatever  wrongs  oppression  by  bad  rulers  has 
driven  them  to  do,  or  whatever  ugly  tricks  the 
struggle  for  existence  or  their  vain  superstitions 
lead  them  sometimes  to  play,  deep  down  in  the 
nature  of  the  Chinaman  is  the  desire  to  be  at 
peace  with  all — "to  live  and  let  live."  It  is  this 
peaceable  and  moderate  temperament  that  has 
prevented  their  being  a  warlike  nation  and  that 
makes  life  and  property  as  secure  for  the  most 
part  in  China  as  in  England.  They  need  only 
tlie  purer  doctrine  of  Christ  to  raise  the  national 
character  to  the  highest  standard. 

3.  Nor  must  we  omit  to  notice  their  habitual 
courtesy  and  politeness.  We  do  not  ignore  the  fact 
that  the  moral  value  of  courtesy  is  a  difficult  thing 
to  estimate.  In  some  nations  and  some  individu- 
als it  is  one  of  the  most  delusive  of  the  virtues. 
There  may  be  politeness  on  the  lip  and  something 
very  different  in  the  mind.  But  while  we  are 
prepared  to  take  off  a  large  discount  for  pretended 
courtesy,  the  Chinese  must  still  be  credited  with 
a  language  as  polite  as  the  best  and  with  more  of 
the  spirit  of  politeness  than  most  other  nationali- 
ties. Sometimes,  indeed,  the  desire  to  please  is 
carried  to  an  extreme,  and  the  unaccustomed  for- 
eigner would  like  to  say,  "Cut  it  short,"  to  the 
elaborate  ritual  of  good  manners.     Times  without 


136     ALONG   RIVER  AND   ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

number  we  have  been  made  uncomfortable  by 
what  seemed  the  excess  of  trouble  our  friends 
were  taking  to  insure  our  comfort.  We  have 
been  grieved  at  the  expense  to  which  they  have 
put  themselves  in  preparing  feasts  of  fat  things. 
In  vain  have  we  besought  them  not  to  accomj)any 
us  for  long  distances  on  the  road.  They  seemed 
to  think  that  all  our  consideration  for  them  only 
made  it  more  incumbent  upon  them  to  show  that 
they  also  knew  "the  proprieties."  Even  the 
poorest  classes  pay  much  regard  to  the  amenities 
of  social  intercourse. 

After  a  lengthened  residence  in  China  there  is 
nothing  that  strikes  an  Englishman  more  on  his 
return  to  England  than  the  brusqueness  of  his 
own  countrymen.  We  are  so  accustomed  at  home 
to  what  the  Chinaman  would  call  ignorance  of 
the  proprieties,  and  we  so  consistently  ignore 
these  same  proprieties  ourselves,  that  we  cannot 
appreciate  the  difference  between  Chinese  and 
English  manners  unless  we  have  been  to  the 
East.  The  selfish  disregard  of  the  convenience 
of  others,  shown  especially  by  young  men  and 
women  in  our  streets,  in  trains  and  tramcars,  is 
behavior  practically  unknown  in  China.  Polite 
request  or  apology  seldom  fails  to  be  expressed  at 
the  proper  moment  by  the  Chinaman. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  Chinese  commonly 


HABITS  AND  MANNERS  OK  CHINAMEN.      1 37 

call  Europeans  "barbarians."  Too  much  may 
be  made  of  this  unpleasant  custom  of  theirs.  It 
needs  to  be  explained  that  there  is  no  satisfactory 
comprehensive  term  in  the  language  for  ' '  for- 
eigner." On  the  lips  of  the  Chinaman  it  often 
means  uo  more  than  the  same  term  in  ancient 
Greek.  "Barbarian"  meant  no  more  to  the 
Greeks  than  a  degree  of  culture  less  than  Greek. 
Even  the  common  expletive,  "foreign  devil,"  so 
often  heard  in  Chinese  streets  may  be  misunder- 
stood and  its  violence  exaggerated.  To  many  it 
means  no  more  than  ' '  foreign  "  or  "  outlandish ' ' 
does  with  us.  Even  the  Christians,  when  speak- 
ing of  their  missionary  pastors,  often  allude  to 
foreigners  by  names  which,  if  literally  translated, 
would  sound  anything  but  polite.  "Red-haired 
men"  for  Englishmen,  and  "Little  barbarian- 
men"  for  any  foreigner,  are  among  the  mildest 
of  these  words  which  some  good  missionaries 
think  offensive.  To  avoid  equivocal  and  disre- 
spectful terms,  missionaries  have  invented  the 
term  "outside-country-men,"  which  is  in  very 
common  use  among  those  with  whom  they  come 
chiefly  into  contact. 

We  Englishmen  are  blissfully  ignorant  of  the 
fact  that  we  are  an  astonishment  to  a  nation  like 
the  Chinese,  and  are  indignant  that  they  should 
venture  to  speak  disrespectfully  of  us.     But  it  has 


133     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

to  be  remembered  that  we  are  apt  to  imagine  that 
no  one  else  has  such  a  claim  to  imiversal  consid- 
eration as  ourselves.  Our  countrymen  in  China 
do  not  mean  to  be  rude,  nor  have  they  any  idea 
that  they  are  so,  and  yet  they  often  are  objects  of 
perplexity,  contempt,  and  even  disgust  to  the 
Chinaman.  One  or  two  foreigners  at  a  port  may 
dishonor  the  name  of  the  foreigner.  A  few  here 
and  there  have  been  known  to  act  as  if  China 
were  governed  from  Downing  Street  instead  of 
from  Peking.  They  lord  it  over  every  native, 
are  careless  of  their  morals,  indignant  if  the  au- 
thorities or  the  populace  object  to  their  v/ander- 
ing  everywhere  and  shooting  game  at  will,  furi- 
ous if  they  may  not  buy  what  the  Chinaman  does 
not  wish  to  sell,  and  speak  and  act  as  though  the 
Chinaman  were  not  very  much  the  superior  of 
themselves  in  manners,  if  not  in  morals.  They 
forget  that  they  are  in  the  minority  by  some  three 
hundred  millions,  and  that  when  they  are  finding 
fault  with  him  for  his  national  peculiarities,  he  is 
simply  not  fettered  or  misguided  like  themselves 
by  the  prejudices  born  of  centuries  of  insular  con- 
ceit and  the  developments  of  a  civilization  from 
which  simplicity  has  almost  fled.  It  is  not  always 
remarkable  that  the  Chinese  should  think  foreign- 
ers lacking  in  culture. 

As  for  themselves,  they  can  never  be  fairly 


HABITS  AND  MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.     139 

judged  except  by  those  who  know  their  language, 
have  lived  among  them,  and  have  for  Christ's 
sake  endured  without  a  visible  shudder  many  a 
painful  shock  to  the  nerves;  but  missionaries, 
who  have  the  best  opportunities  of  knowing  them 
intimately,  almost  unanimously  testify  to  the  cour- 
tesy with  which  they  are  treated  by  the  people. 
Speaking  generally,  no  foreigner  is  treated  other- 
wise than  politely  in  China,  unless  he  forgets  that 
even  among  semi-civilized  heathens  it  is  his  duty 
to  act  as  a  gentleman. 

4.  We  must  say  a  word  of  praise  of  their  out- 
ward morality.  What  their  real  moral  state  is  we 
may  venture  presently  to  describe.  But  they  cer- 
tainly deserve  credit  for  the  propriety  that  marks 
their  outward  life.  It  is  only  too  probable  that 
most,  if  not  all,  large  Chinese  towns  have  their 
dens  of  debauchery.  But  crime  does  not  shame- 
lessly walk  the  streets  and  assert  itself  with  such 
effrontery  as  in  the  towns  of  this  Christian  land 
of  ours.  Only  where  the  congregating  of  Euro- 
peans has  resulted  in  a  grosser  degree  of  depravity 
do  the  outward  evidences  of  immoral  conduct 
force  themselves  upon  one's  notice.  To  what- 
ever depths  of  license  many  of  them  may  be  ad- 
dicted, it  can  at  least  be  said  that  they  do  not 
make  an  open  show  of  their  vices. 

Few  Christians  realize  as  they  should  the  effect 


140     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

produced  upon  the  minds  of  intelligent  heathen 
visitors  to  our  shores  by  what  they  are  obliged  to 
witness  in  our  large  towns.  In  their  innocence 
the  kindly  supporters  of  missions  think  that  it 
must  do  the  ' '  poor  heathen ' '  so  much  good  to 
come  to  England  and  see  how  much  better  we  are 
than  they.  Would  that  it  were  possible  for  them 
to  be  so  impressed !  But  these  same  ' '  poor  heath- 
en" are  too  often  shocked  by  what  they  see  and 
hear.  The  misery  of  the  poor,  the  foulness  of  the 
slums,  the  number  of  murders  recorded  in  our 
newspapers,  the  blazoning  of  licentiousness  upon 
our  streets,  the  prodigious  figures  of  the  "  national 
drink  bill,"  and  the  number  of  drunkards — these 
things  startle  and  amaze  the  heathen  who  come 
to  England  believing  it  to  be  an  example  for  the 
world !  The  attaches  of  the  Chinese  Embassy 
have  expressed  themselves  on  these  points  as 
strongly  as  their  politeness  will  allow.  A  well- 
known  missionary  and  scholar  asked  Ambassador 
Kwoh  what  he  thought  of  England.  He  replied, 
"  It  is  a  fine  country  and  your  people  are  very 
ingenious,  but  their  immorality  is  very  lamenta- 
ble; it  is  a  pity  they  have  not  become  possessed 
of  right  principles;  vice  is  very  common  in  many 
forms;  I  cannot  admire  the  low  standard  of  pro- 
priety and  goodness  which  characterizes  your 
great  country."    That  is  the  opinion  formed  of  us 


HABITS  AND  MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.     141 

by  a  man  we  call  a  heathen  !  In  continning  the 
conversation  the  learned  missionary  was  obliged 
to  confess  that  he  had  seen  more  drunken  men  in 
walking  from  a  railway  station  in  a  certain  north- 
ern city  to  the  steamer  quay  than  drunken  China- 
men during  thirty  years'  residence  in  China. 

But  we  need  not  bring  a  railing  accusation 
against  ourselves,  for  that  does  not  improve  the 
Chinese.  It  is  well,  however,  to  realize  that 
though  great  numbers  of  heathens  are  debased, 
multitudes  of  them  have  a  strong  moral  sense, 
and  that  we  are  not  nationally  in  all  things  an 
example  for  them  to  copy.  We  may  be  too  san- 
guine in  hoping  that  the  residence  of  Chinese 
among  us  would  tend  to  spread  the  truths  of 
Christianity.  In  some  directions  their  public 
morality  stands  in  advance  of  our  own.  While 
we  take  as  flattering  a  view  of  ourselves  as  possi- 
ble, they  scorn  us  for  the  difference  between  our 
profession  and  our  practice.  While  we  are  thank- 
ing God  for  our  Christianity  and  trying  to  spread 
it,  they  imagine  that  we  cannot  possibly  have 
been  educated  in  ' '  right  principles. ' '  They  come 
soberly  to  the  conclusion  that  the  ethics  of  Confu- 
cius have  more  power  to  deter  men  from  crime 
than  the  ethics  of  Christianity.  We  may  object 
as  much  as  we  please  to  their  conclusion,  as  we 
know  they  are  most  sadly  mistaken;  but  all  we 


142     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

are  speaking  of  at  present  is  the  impression  made 
by  our  outward  practices  upon  the  mind  of  an  in- 
telligent heathen.  The  facts  which  come  under 
his  notice,  and  which  we  all  grant  arise  from  the 
lack  of  Christianity,  are  put  down  by  a  sober  and 
learned  heathen  as  ih.Q.fatilt  of  Christianity. 

The  ethical  standard  of  the  Confucian  school 
is  certainly  high,  considering  that  it  is  untouched 
by  Jewish  or  Christian  influence.  Such  senten- 
ces as  the  following  abound  in  the  writings  of 
Mencius,  the  chief  follower  of  Confucius:  "All 
men  originally  have  compassionate  hearts ;  all 
men  have  hearts  that  are  ashamed  of  vice;  all 
have  hearts  disposed  to  show  reverence  and  re- 
spect; and  all  have  hearts  that  discriminate  be- 
tween right  and  wrong.  A  compassionate  heart 
implies  benevolence;  one  ashamed  of  vice,  recti- 
tude; one  which  respects  and  reveres,  a  sense  of 
propriety;  and  one  that  clearly  distinguishes  right 
from  wrong,  wisdom.  Now  the  principles  of  be- 
nevolence, rectitude,  propriety,  and  wisdom  are 
not  infused  into  us  from  without;  we  certainly 
possess  them  of  ourselves."  The  endeavor  of  the 
sages  was  to  induce  men  to  live  up  to  the  con- 
science of  right  and  wrong  which  is  written  in 
human  nature.  Though  the  spiritual  element  is 
almost  entirely  absent  from  their  teaching,  they 
have  lifted  the  people  as  far  as  mere  morality  can 


HABITS  AND  MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.      143 

do.  We  do  not  mean  to  assert  that  the  generality 
of  the  Chinese  make  a  direct  effort  to  live  up  to 
the  standard  of  original  goodness  stated  in  the 
above  passage  by  Mencius;  but  only  that  mission- 
aries and  others  who  know  them  intimately  are 
often  impressed  with  the  benevolence,  rectitude, 
propriety,  and  wisdom  (in  the  sense  in  which  the 
sage  used  the  words)  which  distinguish  them. 
Politically,  they  are  not  aggressive,  and  have  no 
wish  to  annex  their  neighbors'  territory.  Commer- 
cially, the  class  of  native  merchants  with  whom 
our  countrymen  have  to  do  are  famous  for  their 
integrity,  even  "their  enemies  being  judges." 
Socially,  whatever  vice  or  crime  individuals  are 
guilty  of  is  at  least  treated  as  a  shame  and  cov- 
ered up  from  public  inspection. 

After  saying  so  much  in  their  favor  it  is  hard 
to  turn  round  and  seem  to  disprove  all  we  have 
said.  Yet  it  is  most  lamentably  true  that,  while 
they  have  so  many  private  and  public  virtues, 
Paul's  description  in  Romans  i  of  the  depravity 
of  the  heathen  world  applies  to  a  vast  mass  of  the 
people  of  China.  Side  by  side  with  their  best 
traits  of  character  are  found  habits  which  are 
gross  and  sensual  and  practices  which  reveal  a 
sorry  lack  of  cultured  moral  sense. 

The  average  Chinaman  has,  for  instance,  no 
idea  of  the  beauty  of  truthfulness  in  the  Christian 


144     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

or  any  other  sense.  The  case  is  not  as  bad  as 
some  writers  declare,  who  assert  that  no  China- 
man speaks  the  truth.  But  they  have  not  the 
same  conscience  about  it  as  we  have.  To  lie  is 
with  them  a  sort  of  Spartan  virtue.  Parents  feel 
somewhat  pleased  at  the  dexterity  with  which  a 
child  of  theirs  can  lie.  They  regard  it  as  a  touch 
of  genius,  a  hopeful  sign  that  their  son  will  make 
his  way  in  the  world.  A  lie  is  no  more  than  a 
piece  of  wit,  and  the  more  daring  the  more  ad- 
mirable. Even  when,  through  affection  or  self- 
interest,  they  speak  the  truth  they  do  not  seem  to 
feel  that  they  have  done  what  is  commendable, 
but  merely  that  they  have  not  done  what  they 
have  been  inclined  to. 

In  making  a  bargain  this  terrible  infirmity 
comes  out  most  visibly.  Both  parties  brace  them- 
selves for  the  occasion  to  bandy  to  and  fro  the 
most  glaring  falsehoods.  Suppose  the  buyer 
wishes  for  a  basket  of  a  value  of  two  dollars.  He 
goes  into  the  shop  and  makes  one  or  two  indiffer- 
ent remarks,  and  then  suggests  that  baskets  are 
very  dear.  The  salesman  mildly  finds  fault  with 
the  assertion,  and  takes  down  a  basket  which  he 
says  is  worth  four  dollars.  The  buyer  reckons 
that  it  must,  therefore,  be  worth  only  two,  and 
accordingly  says,  "But  I  should  say  it  was  dear 
at  one  dollar."     "How  can  you  presume  to  say 


HABITS  AND  MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.       I45 

that,  when  I  gave  three  dollars  and  ninety  cents 
for  it  myself,  and  only  charge  you  a  profit  of  ten 
cents  for  my  trouble  in  keeping  it?"  A  dispute 
follows  at  great  length ;  the  salesman  declares 
he  is  being  ruined,  that  he  is  losing  several  dol- 
lars, and  so  on.  After  much  disputing  they  agree 
on  two  dollars,  which  probably  allows  the  basket- 
seller  a  profit  of  half  a  dollar,  and  they  part  good 
friends,  having  each  of  them  told  at  least  fifty 
barefaced  lies,  known  to  be  such  by  both. 

It  would,  of  course,  be  a  wonder  if  the  heathen 
were  truthful.  Truthfulness  is  a  virtue  that  some 
Christians  find  it  hard  to  cultivate.  Not  merely 
the  direct  teaching  of  the  gospel  is  needed  to  teach 
a  better  way,  but  also  the  indirect  influence  of  a 
wiser  social  and  commercial  economy.  One  is 
glad  to  be  able  to  add  one's  own  experience  of  the 
native  brethren.  Notwithstanding  that  the  old 
infirmity  causes  them  sometimes  to  stumble,  they 
do  make  conscience  of  this  matter  and  are  very 
reliable. 

The  ingenuity  of  the  Chinamen  in  deception 
comes  out  strangely  in  his  pilfering  habits.  As 
we  said  of  their  lying,  where  affection  or  self-in- 
terest constrain  them  they  are  all  that  could  be 
wished.  The  same  is  true  of  their  honesty.  Val- 
uables may  safely  be  intrusted  with  a  man  who 
has  sufficient  reason  to  be  honest;  but  all  is  fair 

Kiver  and  Roiul  in  Cliiuo.  J) 


146     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

gain  that  can  be  safely  gotten  is  the  loose  princi- 
ple of  "childlike  and  bland"  John  Chinaman. 
Robbery  becomes  a  high  art  with  certain  classes, 
especially  as  the  New  Year  approaches.  Several 
years  ago,  while  the  Supreme  Court  of  Hong-Kong 
was  in  session,  a  man  entered  the  court  with  a  lad- 
der, which  he  proceeded  to  place  upon  a  bench 
near  the  judge.  The  judge  and  counsel  were  an- 
noyed at  the  ill-timed  procedure  and  asked  what 
he  wanted.  He  said  he  had  been  sent  to  fetch 
the  clock  to  be  cleaned.  In  a  rash  moment  the 
judge  said  that,  seeing  he  was  already  upon  the 
ladder,  he  might  as  well  take  the  clock  there  and 
then,  instead  of  coming  back  for  it  at  a  more  con- 
venient season;  and  so  he  did,  but  that  clock  was 
never  heard  of  more  !  We  have  known  a  house- 
top to  be  stripped  of  its  lead  by  persons  who  said 
they  had  been  sent  tt)  repair  it.  One  almost  feels 
as  though  they  had  earned  it  by  their  daring. 

In  regard  to  ill-gotten  gains  the  most  striking 
feature  is  commission  on  purchases  and  sales. 
The  Chinese  are  a  nation  of  commission  agents. 
A  man  would  get  a  percentage  out  of  his  own  mo- 
ther for  buying  something  for  her.  The  foreign 
residents  in  China  always  take  this  custom  into 
their  reckoning.  They  cannot  alter  it,  and  they 
accept  the  inevitable.  If  you  are  hiring  a  cook, 
the  wages  may  be  stated  at  seven  dollars  a  month, 


HABITS  AND  MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.      147 

the  man  to  provide  for  himself.  You  do  not  say 
to  him,  "What  commission  are  you  going  to  take 
on  what  you  buy  in  the  market?"  You  make  no 
reference  to  the  matter,  nor  does  he;  and  yet  you 
know  perfectly  well  that  he  will  get  out  of  you  a 
commission  of  at  least  ten  per  cent,  on  even  the 
smallest  purchases.  He  will  buy  them  at  one 
rate  and  will  hand  you  the  bill  at  a  higher  figure. 
So  fully  is  this  recognized  that  your  servant  will 
walk  down  a  street  in  which  a  particular  kind  of 
goods  is  sold,  calling  out,  "How  much  discount?" 
The  shopkeepers  say,  "Eight,  ten,  fifteen,  twen- 
ty," as  they  think  well.  The  man  then  buys  in 
the  cheapest  market  and  charges  you  the  full 
price,  pocketing  the  difference.  The  Christians 
do  this  as  well  as  the  heathen.  It  is  a  national 
custom  and  is  looked  upon  simply  as  a  legitimate 
perquisite. 

The  judicial  corruption  of  the  ruling  classes  is 
another  phase  of  Chinese  manners.  It  is  a  ques- 
tion on  which  much  uncertainty  must  of  necessity 
exist.  All  we  can  know  is  the  broad  fact  that  the 
verdicts  of  the  courts  are  all  but  openly  bought 
and  sold.  Now  and  again  one  hears  of  a  just 
magistrate,  and  such  a  man  is  all  but  worshipped 
by  the  people.  He  does  justly,  however,  at  the 
expense  of  his  own  comforts.  The  stipends  of 
ofiicials  are  so  low  that  a  mandarin  is  miserably 


148     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

poor  if  he  does  not  resort  to  questionable  practices. 
Even  of  Li  Hung  Chang,  the  most  enlightened 
Chinese  statesman  of  the  age,  it  was  said  that 
while  he  was  mayor  of  Tientsin  his  stipend  was 
only  $100,  but  he  was  known  to  be  spending  not 
less  than  $50,000  a  year.  There  is  no  reason  to 
doubt  the  statement  often  made  that  men  be- 
take themselves  to  university  examinations  and 
public  life  in  order  to  sweep  into  their  own  pock- 
ets whatever  they  can  seize.  Bribery  and  cor- 
rugation are  all  but  universal  among  officials.  The 
man  with  the  largest  purse  is  sure  of  the  verdict. 
The  rich  man  is  squeezed  and  the  poor  man  is 
"eaten  up."  No  wonder  the  generality  of  the 
people  call  these  fatherly  officials  the  "lion-tigers 
of  the  land." 

But  the  saddest  point  of  view  from  which  to 
study  the  manners  of  the  Celestial  is  the  question 
of  his  sexual  morality.  We  said  above  that  the 
outward  propriety  of  the  nation  is  very  remark- 
able and  praiseworthy.  But  below  all  this  veneer 
of  good  manners  there  is  often  a  state  of  corrup- 
tion that  is  too  terrible  to  think  of.  If  the  lan- 
guage is  the  fullest  of  all  in  polite  expressions 
there  surely  is  not  another  as  abundant  in  unclean 
and  vulgar  terms.  Care  has  to  be  exercised  in 
speaking  Chinese  to  avoid  using  offensive  lan- 
guage by  mistake.     Their  songs,  their  jests,  their 


HABITS  AND   MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.      I49 

conversation,  their  stage-plays,  are  most  unclean. 
The  plays  are  so  thoroughly  bad  that,  though 
they  are  held  in  the  open  air,  members  of  Chris- 
tian churches  would  be  disciplined  if  it  were 
known  that  they  had  attended  them.  In  the  lan- 
guage of  vituperation  they  exceed  themselves  in 
uncleanness.  The  children  grow  up  amid  the 
corrupt  and  degraded  conversation  and  behavior 
and  early  learn  the  vices  of  their  elders.  The 
women  are  about  as  bad  as  the  men. 

There  we  touch  perhaps  the  secret  of  the 
whole  mischief.  It  may  be  that  in  the  degraded 
position  of  women  in  China  lies  the  root  of  the 
evil.  Feeling  themselves  to  be  mere  goods  and 
chattels  and  believing  that  they  have  not  souls 
like  the  men,  they  know  little  or  nothing  of  the 
dignity  of  pure  womanhood.  Sunk  in  ignorance 
and  shut  up  to  the  narrow  sphere  of  their  own 
female  circle,  they  are  removed  from  the  elevating 
influences  which  would  fit  them  in  their  turn  to 
use  the  power  for  blessing  that  God  has  put  in 
the  hands  of  good  women.  Not  only  are  they 
untaught,  but  they  are  not  allowed  to  associate 
with  their  husbands'  friends.  When  a  visitor 
calls  to  see  the  husband,  the  wife  and  daughters 
generally  hide  themselves  until  he  is  gone.  The 
wife  never  sits  at  table  with  her  husband.  The 
rice  is  brought  in  steaming  hot  for  the  men  and 


150     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIKN. 

boys,  and  when  they  have  done  the  women-folks 
can  take  their  meah  Not  even  the  Christians  de- 
flect from  that  rule.  The  pleasant,  civilizing,  and 
hallowing  influences  of  the  society  of  the  gentler 
sex  are  treated  as  valueless.  No  man  may  dare 
to  ask  after  the  wife  of  another.  Propriety  for- 
bids that  any  reference  wdiatever  should  be  made 
to  her.  Even  between  intimate  friends  some 
round-about  phrase  must  be  used  instead  of  the 
word  "wife."  The  term  in  most  common  use 
for  wife,  "the  house-back,"  that  is,  "the  person 
at  the  back  of  the  house,"  or  the  still  more  sug- 
gestive term  used  in  the  north  of  China,  "the 
broom  and  dustpan,"  is  only  too  natural  an  ex- 
pression of  their  opinion  of  the  female  sex.  The 
Chinaman  addresses  his  wife  as  "  Er-r-r,"  indef- 
initely prolonged — a  syllable  capable  of  accurately 
suggesting  a  variety  of  conditions  of  mind — and 
she  speaks  to  and  of  him  as  "great  mandarin." 
The  state  of  the  female  sex  is  not  as  bad  in  China 
as  in  some  other  Oriental  countries.  They  have 
a  good  deal  more  freedom,  especially  the  wives 
and  daughters  of  working  people.  They  also  ex- 
ercise a  good  deal  of  authority  in  the  house,  not- 
withstanding that  the  rules  of  social  life  have 
placed  them  so  low  in  the  scale.  It  might  even 
be  said  that  China  is  a  thoroughly  "hen-pecked" 
country.     But  though  the  women  are  not  as  badly 


HABITS  AND   MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.      151 

off  as  in  India  or  Turkey,  their  state  is  sad  enough 
to  make  the  hearts  of  their  Western  sisters  bleed 
for  them.  Every  one  who  has  any  acquaintance 
with  the  home-life  of  China  must  long  for  the 
time  when  the  women  will  take  their  true  posi- 
tion and  be,  not  the  servants,  but  the  helpmeets 
and  companions,  of  men. 

Yet  we  confess  to  having  a  great  admiration 
for  the  Chinese  people,  notwithstanding  all  their 
faults.  We  are  weary  of  hearing  them  defamed, 
ridiculed,  and  underrated  by  persons  who  have 
gathered  their  information  from  the  idle  tattle  of 
sailors  who  have  looked  at  crowds  of  dirty  coolies 
at  the  ports  of  China,  or  have  conversed  with 
merchants  and  others  who  never  knew  a  sentence 
of  Chinese  and  never  entered  a  town  or  villasfe  if 
they  could  help  it,  or,  what  is  worse,  have  been 
misled  by  statements  of  the  Irish  "hoodlums" 
and  American  "politicians  and  carpet-baggers" 
of  San  Francisco.  Over  against  every  vice  with 
which  we  can  charge  the  Chinaman  we  can  bring 
a  counter-charge  against  large  masses  of  our  own 
countrymen.  Thank  God,  we  do  not  lie  so  much, 
nor  do  w^e  smoke  opium  nor  treat  our  women 
badly;  but  we  have  among  us  a  hundred  thousand 
known  drunkards,  besides  all  the  secret  tipplers; 
and  if  there  are  degraded  worshippers  of  idols  in 
China  there  are  millions  of  more  desrraded  wor- 


152     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

shippers  of  nothing  in  England  We  do  not 
make  these  remarks  with  a  view  of  shielding  the 
Chinaman  from  the  accusation  of  godlessness,  but 
only  to  suggest  that  we  must  be  charitable  and 
just.  It  is  true  we  may  not  lower  our  moral  stan- 
dard in  any  degree,  nor  does  all  we  say  in  their 
behalf  lessen  in  the  least  the  necessity  of  evan- 
gelistic effort;  but  we  must  make  a  measure  of 
allowance  for  the  heathen,  and  in  looking  at  their 
vices  not  forget  their  virtues.  These  kinder  judg- 
ments rather  encourage  than  discourage  mission- 
ary effort.  The  openness  of  the  Chinese  mind  to 
moral  considerations  and  to  common  sense  and 
practical  lines  of  thought  and  action  makes  it 
likely  that  they  will  receive  the  truths  of  the  gos- 
pel very  readily.  Their  reverence  for  learning 
and  virtue,  their  geniality  and  intelligence,  all 
tend  in  one  direction.  They  hasten  that  consum- 
mation which  all  Christians  are  praying  for  and 
anticipating. 

It  should  be  understood  that  our  words  of 
praise  of  the  character  of  the  Chinaman  refer  al- 
most entirely  to  the  middle  and  lower  classes. 
Foreigners  in  China  have  very  little  opportunity 
of  becoming  intimately  acquainted  with  the  ruling 
and  "literary"  classes.  As  far  as  they  exhibit 
themselves  in  their  opinions  and  conduct  they 
seem  to  be  as  conceited,  perverse,  conservative, 


HABITS   AND   MANNERS  OF  CHINAMEN.      1 53 

and  impracticable  a  generation  as  could  be  found 
anywhere  in  the  world.  They  openly  declare  that 
"they  are  the  people,  and  that  wisdom  will  die 
with  them."  But  the  men  that  are  met  day  by 
day  on  the  roads,  in  the  inns  and  fields,  the  agri- 
cultural and  poorer  class  of  business  men,  can 
justly  make  a  certain  claim  upon  our  respect  and 
esteem,  and  not  infrequently  our  affection.  The 
intense  fondness  of  parents  for  their  children,  the 
devotion  of  children  to  their  parents,  their  ready 
and  genuine  sorrow  over  the  misfortunes  of  others, 
their  neighborliness,  their  anxiety  to  oblige,  their 
simple  and  unsophisticated  modes  of  thinking  in 
many  respects,  endear  them  not  a  little  to  those 
who  really  know  them. 


154     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

DIARY   OF   A    MISSIONARY  JOURNEY. 

We  left  Amoy  at  nine  A.  m.  in  the  "gospel 
boat" — a  heavy  craft  designed  to  weather  stormy 
times  upon  the  broad  bays  and  rivers  upon  which 
we  have  to  travel.  She  is  thirty  feet  long,  ten 
feet  in  the  beam,  and  draws  about  two  feet  of 
water.  There  is  a  house,  half  upon  deck  and  half 
under,  with  two  bunks  for  as  many  missionaries, 
in  which  narrow  compass  we  stretch  out  our  little 
travelling  mattress.  At  the  stern  a  portion  of  the 
deck  is  movable,  and  lifting  this  as  a  trap-door 
one  looks  into  a  dark  den,  into  which  six  or  eight 
Chinese  boatmen  let  themselves  down  to  sleep. 
How  they  contrive  to  spend  ten  minutes  there 
without  being  suffocated  is  their  affair  and  not 
mine,  since  they  are  perfectly  contented  with  their 
quarters. 

For  three  hours  there  was  only  a  gentle  wind, 
but  at  twelve  o'clock  a  stiff  breeze  sprang  up,  and 
we  reached  our  anchorage  at  two.  On  the  way 
there  were  the  usual  sights,  so  surprising  to  a 
new-comer,  but  so  stale  to  those  who  see  them 


DIARY   OF   A   MIGSIONARY  JOURNEY.         155 

constantly.  Men  were  seen  by  scores  apparently 
walking  on  the  water,  but  in  reality  standing  on 
a  few  thick  pieces  of  bamboo.  On  these  are  fas- 
tened rowlocks  eighteen  inches  high,  and  by 
means  of  small  oars  these  sea-walkers  proj^el 
themselves  in  the  direction  of  their  nets.  Others 
were  sitting  on  these  bamboo  life-preservers  coolly 
fishing  with  a  dozen  lines,  each  of  which  has  a 
large  number  of  hooks. 

We  anchored  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  shore 
and  were  fetched  from  our  boat  by  a  rickety  punt. 
Crossing  a  potato-field  soon  after  landing,  I  saw 
the  largest  snake  I  had  yet  met  with  out  of  a 
menagerie.  It  was  about  eight  feet  long  and 
thicker  than  my  wrist,  with  small  head  and  taper- 
ing tail.  I  must  have  almost  trodden  upon  it,  for 
it  bounded  away  from  my  feet  with  a  motion  like 
that  of  a  horse  galloping. 

The  village  of  Tung-a-be  (end  of  the  little 
pond)  consists  of  only  about  fifty  mud  houses. 
There  is  a  large  population  in  numerous  villages 
around.  The  chapel  is  in  a  quiet  spot  and  towers 
above  the  one-story  huts  close  by.  It  is  painted 
all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow  in  approved  Chinese 
fashion,  while  on  the  front  of  the  pulpit,  desk,  or 
cupboard  is  the  national  device  of  two  golden 
dragons  threatening  to  do  something  dreadful  to 
one  another.     The  women's  seats  are  behind  the 


156     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

pulpit,  and  a  screen  of  wood  and  bamboo  extends 
from  the  pulpit  to  the  wall  on  the  other  side,  com- 
pletely concealing  the  women,  who  have  an  en- 
trance-door to  themselves.  There  is  a  gallery 
p3.ved  with  red  tiles,  upon  which  are  built  the 
rooms  occupied  by  the  preacher  in  charge  and  the 
missionary  upon  his  visits,  and  there  is  an  empty 
space  used  for  prayer-meetings. 

The  preacher,  a  young  man  much  given  to 
chanting  the  Scriptures  as  he  reads  them,  seems 
to  be  developing  a  talent  for  hymn-writing.  He 
has  turned  the  65th  and  95th  Psalms  into  Chinese 
very  well  indeed.  I  gave  him  last  night  the 
translation  of  the  1178th  hymn  in  the  Congrega- 
tional Hymn-book,  "  Let  me  be  with  Thee  where 
Thou  art,"  and  pointed  out  the  antithetic  form  of 
the  verses.  His  version  makes  the  rhymes  and 
accent  occur  on  the  fifth  and  tenth  syllables  of 
each  line,  making  the  hymn  to  be  eight  lines 
fives.  We  have  set  it  to  the  tune  given  on  p. 
221,  which  I  heard  played  some  time  ago  at 
Chioh-be  by  a  band  of  two  violins,  one  banjo,  and 
one  flageolet. 

The  preacher  and  I  went  to  a  neighboring  vil- 
lage this  afternoon  to  hire  a  sedan-chair  for  Mon- 
day morning,  but  without  success.  We  had  sev- 
eral opportunities  of  talking  about  Christ  to  the 
people.     Not  such  preaching  as  friends  at  home 


11  W{       '  fi 


TrSC-v-BB   CHiPEL. 


"^ 


'^"^-A, 


'"oa-Ihau-ciiliiS 

I 

Tahg-oa 


Map  of  the  Country 

between 

FOOCHOW  AND  AMOY. 


:l^ 


DIARY   OF   A   MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.         159 

are  accustomed  to  think  of  when  they  read  or 
hear  of  a  missionary  talking  to  the  heathen. 

Missionary  preaching  in  the  open  air  is  a  very 
simple  affair.  You  will  be  near  the  mark  if  you 
imagine  the  messenger  of  the  gospel  in  a  straw 
hat  and  a  pea-jacket  sitting  on  a  broken  wall 
(there  is  always  a  broken  wall  handy  in  a  village) 
or  on  a  doorstep  or  on  a  form  at  the  front  of  an 
eating-house,  conversing  freely  with  a  score  of 
Chinamen,  all  of  whom  perhaps  bear  some  mark 
of  their  occupation,  while  a  number  of  boys  in 
very  scanty  clothing  thrust  themselves  to  the  front 
and  a  few  women  linger  at  a  distance,  just  beyond 
the  range  of  hearing. 

On  the  way  back  we  called  upon  one  of  the 
church  members.  The  men  were  out,  but  as 
there  were  only  one  very  old  woman  and  some 
little  children  at  home  we  went  in  to  give  her  a 
kind  word.  The  whole  stock  of  the  laree  house 
would  be  priced  at  only  a  few  shillings.  The 
broken-down  state  of  the  place,  the  dirt  and  litter, 
are  almost  beyond  description.  Spinning-wheels, 
pots,  kettles,  ploughs,  big  jars,  children,  flour- 
mills,  pigs,  straw,  ducks,  chickens,  benches, 
chairs,  were  all  mixed  up  in  one  confused  mass; 
while  the  open  court  within  the  circuit  of  rooms 
was  a  sort  of  cesspool  twenty  feet  square  and  eight 
inches  deep,  filled  with  black  effervescing  cor- 


l6o     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

ruption.  How  the  poor  live  is  a  question  that 
puzzles  philanthropists  at  home,  but  how  the 
Chinaman  manages  to  survive  the  fetid  smells 
that  meet  his  olfactories  at  every  turn  in  town 
and  village  is  a  question  that  the  traveller  asks 
himself  each  hour  of  the  day.  Five  families  live 
in  this  one  shed  or  series  of  sheds.  The  old  lady 
was  very  kind,  insisted  on  brewing  tea,  and  thrust 
into  the  preacher's  handkerchief  some  horrid 
cakes,  which  she  went  out  to  buy. 

After  one  or  two  interesting  conversations  on 
religious  matters  we  got  home.  I  had  my  tea  in 
a  queer  little  study-parlor-dining-bed-room  and 
then  went  down  to  spend  an  hour  or  two  with  the 
evening  worshippers,  who  were  inaugurating  the 
service  by  taking  their  rice  together  amid  a  babel 
of  discussion. 

Probably  the  reader  would  like  to  be  told  what 
are  a  missionary  bishop's  duties  on  a  Sunday  in  a 
place  such  as  Tung-a-be.  We  held  a  prayer- 
meeting  at  9:30,  and  morning  service  began  at 
10:30,  the  congregation  being  composed  largely 
of  Christians  coming  in  from  long  distances  and 
numbering  about  sixty  in  all.  I  conducted  the 
devotions  and  expounded  a  chapter.  Wishing  to 
hear  my  young  friend,  the  lay  pastor,  preach,  I 
gave  him  last  evening  the  text,  "God  is  love," 
and  we  talked  it  over  this  morning.     He  repro- 


DIARY   OF   A   MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.         l6l 

duced  all  I  suggested  with  remarkable  accuracy; 
but  it  was  a  very  dull  aud  lifeless  discourse;  he 
simply  carried  out  my  instructions.  I  followed 
with  a  short  talk  on  the  same  theme.  Then  dea- 
cons' meeting,  in  the  course  of  which  we  called 
in  one  of  the  congregation  who  has  been  attend- 
ing for  nine  years  without  seeking  baptism.  At 
2:30  afternoon  service,  beginning  with  the  public 
catechising  of  eight  candidates  for  baptism,  after 
which  I  preached  on  "That  which  is  highly  es- 
teemed among  men  is  abomination  in  the  sight 
of  God,"  turning  the  subject  towards  the  sacra- 
ments and  the  Lord's  Supper  in  particular.  The 
communion  followed,  thirty-nine  church  members 
partaking  of  it.  We  then,  in  "church  meeting," 
arranged  some  matters  of  public  business  in  which 
all  the  members  were  interested.  The  worship- 
pers from  a  distance  started  for  home  between 
four  and  five  o'clock  amid  many  hearty  cries  of 
"My  brothers,  peace,  peace  be  with  you!"  The 
"dark  assembly,"  as  the  evening  service  is  called, 
was  a  little  sociable  gathering  round  a  loug  table 
after  the  rice  was  cleared  away. 

Perhaps  this  is  the  place  to  tell  what  baggage 
we  carry  when  on  a  journey  like  this.  At  one 
end  of  my  porter's  pole  hangs  a  big  white  sack, 
oil  painted,  to  make  it  waterproof.  In  this  is  a 
mattress,  less  than  an  inch  thick,  and  clothing. 


l62     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUII-KIEN. 

To  save  space  no  pillow,  but  pillow-cases,  which 
can  be  stufifed  with  clothes.  The  bag  also  con- 
tains a  small  stock  of  tracts  and  Gospels.  At  the 
other  end  of  the  pole  is  the  provision  store,  a  bas- 
ket in  three  stories.  Being  out  for  so  long  a  trip, 
there  is  considerable  variety  of  perishables,  and  a 
most  cosmopolitan  assortment  it  is.  Tinned  beef 
and  jam  from  California,  biscuits  from  England, 
butter  from  Denmark,  milk  from  Switzerland, 
sardines  from  France,  guava-jelly  from  India,  pre- 
served ginger  from  Canton,  condiments  from  one- 
does  n't-know- where,  and  lucifer  matches  from 
Norway.  One  of  the  first  things  to  be  learned  as 
missionary-traveller  is  what  kind  of  food  is  to  be 
had  in  any  particular  locality.  The  only  articles 
to  be  relied  upon  are  chickens,  eggs,  rice,  and 
fruit,  and  only  the  last  two  are  to  be  had  every- 
where. One  lives  chiefly  on  these,  with  an  occa- 
sional variation  gathered  from  the  basket,  and 
served  with  wdiat  skill  he  possesses  by  Master 
Mercy,  the  cook. 

Silence  has  now  fallen  on  the  chapel  premises. 
The  last  of  the  preacher's  friends  has  gone  his 
way  and  the  door  is  barred.  If  you  want  to  learn 
what  solitude  is,  come  to  China  and  travel  inland. 
Wait  till  the  bustle  of  the  day  is  over  and  you  are 
left  to  your  own  reflections.  If  the  mosquitoes  are 
agreeable  you  will  then  have  leisure  for  thought. 


JIA.STBE  MEECY,  TEE   COOK. 


-'//r^i/Z/iii'- 


-^ 


CHINESE    PRIS0NES3    TVEAFING   THE    CANGUB. 


DIARY  OF  A  MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.         165 

We  left  Tung-a-be  at  half-past  five  a.  m.  ,  walk- 
ing through  the  fields  four  miles  to  the  nearest 
town.     Passing  on,  at  eight  o'clock  we  rested  in 
a  ruined   temple   in  a  very  busy  market-place 
overshadowed  by  magnificent  banyan-trees.      As 
we  discussed  breakfast  in  sight  of  the  crowds  of 
interested  and  noisy  spectators  I  kept  up  a  run- 
ning dispute  for  an  hour  as  to  the  hire  of  a  chair. 
All  declared  they  were  too  much  engaged  to  carry 
my  "honorable  body,"  it  being  peanut  harvest 
and  every  one  busy  in  the  fields.     When  at  last  I 
had  settled  with  two  men  to  carry  me  till  evening 
for  four  hundred  cash  each  (eighteen  pence  of  our 
money),  they  came  and  begged  for  two  hundred 
cash  in  advance  to  buy  rice  on  the  road.     As  this 
is  customary,  the  money  w^as  advanced,  but  when 
the  rascals  had  carried  me  a  hundred  yards  they 
sold  me  to  two  poor  opium-smokers  for  three  hun- 
dred cash  each  and  disappeared  with  the  two  hun- 
dred that  had  been  advanced.      During  the  day 
we  passed  through  some  good  scenery  and  reached 
this  collection  of  miserable  huts  between  five  and 
six  in  the  evening.     For  a  consideration  of  four- 
pence  half  penny  we  persuaded  the  keeper  of  the 
handsome  Mandarin's  Hotel,  outside  the  village 
of  Go-leng  ("  Five  Dragons"),  to  let  us  occupy  it 
for  the  night.     So  here  we  are,  missionary,  ser- 
vant, porter,  and  chair-bearers;  and  we  have  iust 

10 


l66     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

been  singing  hymns  and  reading  Acts  17  beneath 
the  noses  of  the  idols.  The  house  and  courts 
cover  about  a  quarter  of  an  acre,  but  are  innocent 
of  everything  in  the  way  of  furniture,  except  bed- 
boards,  two  tables,  four  chairs,  and  an  altar  with 
large  idols. 

It  was  a  cold,  dark,  and  drizzling  morning 
when  we  left  Five  Dragons  at  five  o'clock,  and 
we  trudged  on  in  silence  for  some  hours  over  the 
granite  hills  until  we  reached  Chinchew,  a  city  of 
400,000  inhabitants.  There  were  many  things 
worth  noting  on  the  road,  such  as  a  massive  stone 
bridge  as  long  as  London  Bridge;  the  great  gate- 
ways of  stone,  twenty-five  feet  thick;  a  causeway 
two  miles  in  length  across  paddy  fields,  the  stones 
being  ten  feet  long,  two  wide,  and  fifteen  inches 
thick,  five  of  them  making  the  breadth  of  the 
road;  the  great  structures  over  the  inner  gates  of 
the  city,  looking  like  Brobdignagian  bird-cages. 
At  half-past  nine  we  began  to  cross  the  suburbs, 
and  forty  minutes'  walk  through  the  crowded 
streets  and  under  elegant  memorial  arches  brought 
us  to  the  door  of  the  English  Presbyterian  Mis- 
sion Chapel.  Here  we  rested  half  an  hour  and 
breakfasted.  Passing  on,  still  on  foot,  in  half  an 
hour  we  reached  the  other  side  of  the  city  and 
hired  a  chair  to  continue  the  journey.  The  roads 
were  thronged  with  country  people  bringing  goods 


DIARY  OF  A  MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.         167 

into  the  city.  There  are  no  wheeled  vehicles 
made  in  the  south  of  China;  the  porterage  has, 
therefore,  to  be  done  by  stalwart  human  limbs; 
and  splendid  beasts  of  burden  do  these  chattering 
Celestials  make. 

Five  hours  brought  us  to  the  seaside  once 
more,  and  to  the  w^estern  end  of  what  Dr.  Med- 
hurst  speaks  of  as  "the  longest  bridge  in  the 
world."  It  may  be  that  at  the  time  he  wrote  he 
was  almost  right.  It  took  us  just  ten  minutes  to 
get  over  it.  *  Half  way  across  we  found  the  faith- 
ful preacher,  now  an  ordained  pastor,  of  Lo-iu 
("Descending-to-the-Sea")  chapel.  He  had  been 
waiting  for  us  an  hour  and  a  half.  You  will 
think  he  had  calculated  the  time  of  our  arrival 
pretty  accurately,  seeing  that  we  left  Amoy  four 
days  ago.  The  chapel  is  a  strange  shape.  Ima- 
gine a  shed  with  concrete  walls,  standing  about 
forty  feet  square,  but  with  a  room  partitioned  off 
at  each  corner,  so  that  the  space  for  the  congrega- 
tion is  shaped  like  a  cross,  and  you  will  then,  if 
you  can  add  the  dinginess,  see  what  Lo-iu  chapel 
is  like.  The  crowd  to  see  me  was  immense.  Only 
missionaries  come  this  way,  and  they  at  very  long 
intervals.  Many  in  the  crowd,  on  account  of  my 
beard  probably,  saluted  me  respectfully  as  "For- 
eign emperor." 

*  At  the  close  of  this  chapter  is  a  description  of  the  bridge. 


l68     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

Several  Christian  brethren  had  come  from  the 
districts  farther  north  to  meet  me.  We  sat  for 
three  hours  talking  over  the  affairs  of  the  church- 
es, while  the  chapel  was  thronged  by  an  eager 
crowd  and  the  windows  were  blocked  with  heads. 
A  Chinese  crowd  like  this  delights  to  reproduce 
whatever  the  foreigner  says  or  does.  If  he  is  eat- 
ing they  will  lift  up  their  hands  in  the  same  way. 
They  pass  the  word  from  the  foreground  to  the 
rear,  "The  foreigner  is  eating,  the  foreigner  is 
writing,  the  foreigner  laughs,  the  foreigner  says 
so  and  so."  Evening  worship  and  more  talk 
brought  the  day  to  a  close. 

The  mosquitoes  here  are  fearful  creatures.  I 
feel  as  though  I  had  never  seen  mosquitoes  before. 
They  have  black  and  white  rings  round  the  body 
and  are  twice  as  large  as  any  of  their  cousins  I 
have  previously  met.  They  positively  will  not 
take  "no"  for  ah  answer.  Whenever  I  remarked 
on  their  pressing  attentions  some  dear  brother 
would  reply  pathetically,  "Ah,  at  Lo-iu  mosqui- 
toes are  dense  and  savage."  They  bite  through 
thick  clothes  and  are  so  numerous  that,  now  the 
candles  are  lit  and  their  manners  and  numbers 
are  at  the  worst,  they  look  like  smoke;  and — alas, 
it  is  too  true ! — there  are  holes  in  the  mosquito- 
curtain  round  the  bed-boards. 

After  a  night  in  which  rats  as  well  as  mosqui- 


DIARY  OF  A  MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.         169 

toes  figured  conspicuously  I  prepared  to  meet  the 
lyO-iu  congregation.  They,  on  their  part,  must 
also  have  prepared  to  meet  me,  for  they  were  at 
chapel  by  nine  o'clock,  although  some  have  many 
miles  to  walk.  After  preaching,  communion,  and 
catechising,  I  left  in  what  we  call  an  open  chair, 
that  is,  a  rough  basket  on  two  poles.  Two  hours' 
trot  along  the  crowded  Foochow  high-road  was 
plain  work  to  the  bearers;  but  when  we  turned 
oflf  into  the  fields  with  the  intention  of  coming  to 
Soa-tsui  ("In-front-of-the-Hill"),  they  declined  to 
go  any  farther  towards  such  outlandish  places,  and 
we  had  to  walk  the  remaining  ten  miles.  For  the 
last  six  miles  the  way  consisted  of  bare  granite 
hills  with  crevasses  worn  by  the  rains  of  ages  at 
every  hundred  yards  or  so.  The  road,  therefore, 
had  to  run  so  as  to  suit  these  deep  gullies.  It  be- 
came more  difficult  as  we  advanced.  Soon  it  was 
evident  that  we  had  missed  our  way.  Night  be- 
gan to  fall.  The  hill  that  had  served  as  a  beacon 
had  long  disappeared  behind  the  rugged  piles  of 
granite  among  which  we  wandered.  It  was  evi- 
dent that  every  step  had  to  be  considered.  We 
sat  down  to  rest  for  ten  minutes,  while  one  of  our 
company  assured  me  that  the  spot  where  we  sat 
changes  its  form  in  a  high  wind  and  that  a  vil- 
lage  lies  buried  beneath  the  fine  sand  upon  which 
our  feet  rested.     A  quarter  of  a  mile  farther  it  be- 


170     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

came  evident  that  we  could  not  proceed  without 
danger,  and  we  began  to  think  of  remaining  where 
we  were  for  the  night.  The  bark  of  dogs,  how- 
ever, suggested  that  human  habitations  must  be 
near  at  hand.  Accordingly  a  native  brother  and 
myself  sat  down  on  the  sand  in  the  dark,  while 
the  third  member  of  our  company  followed  the 
sound  of  the  dogs.  Before  very  long  he  returned 
with  a  lantern  and  directions  as  to  how  to  pro- 
ceed. By  the  aid  of  this  dim  light  we  continued 
our  journey  through  rougher  ways  than  any  we 
had  yet  crossed  and  soon  were  settled  in  the 
comfortable  little  chapel  belonging  to  our  fellow- 
Christians  in  Soa-tsui,  whose  inhabitants  gener- 
ally are  politely  called  fishermen,  but  who  might 
be  described  by  a  less  pleasant,  though  more  ac- 
curate, designation  as  pirates. 

Mine  host  the  preacher  began  to  receive  vis- 
itors at  4:30  A.  M.,  effectually  cutting  short  my 
night's  rest.  Going  out  in  the  early  morning, 
Soa-tsui  was  seen  to  consist  of  about  fifty  houses 
near  the  sea,  on  a  wild  and  barren  coast.  We 
had  service  at  nine  o'clock,  followed  by  the  Lord's 
Supper  and  a  long  discussion  on  the  affairs  of  the 
church.  Having  only  ten  miles  to  walk  to-day, 
we  dined  at  Soa-tsui.  The  route  (we  cannot  say 
the  road  where  there  was  no  semblance  of  a  path) 
lay  across  another  part  of  the  wilderness  we  crossed 


DIARY  OF   A    MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.        171 

last  night.  Althougli  it  is  October  the  heat  of 
the  sun  on  the  sand  and  rocks  was  very  oppres- 
sive. Fortunately  for  thirsty  souls  such  as  we, 
eight  or  ten  of  the  brethren  were  walking  to  their 
homes  in  the  direction  in  which  we  had  to  go, 
and  we  rested  a  while  in  their  village  and  drank 
tea. 

The  chapel  in  the  little  walled  city  of  Lam- 
bang  ("The  Grave-facing-South")  is  a  most 
gloomy  place,  black  and  prison-like.  It  was  once 
a  pawn-shop.  The  brotherhood  of  the  three 
golden  balls  in  China  build  their  houses  in  such 
fashion  that  "thieves  may  not  break  through  nor 
steal. ' '  The  windows  of  this  house  are  mere  slits, 
and  the  thick  bars  which  once  guarded  the  vari- 
ous store  and  treasure  rooms  have  not  yet  been 
removed.  The  whole  place — floor,  walls,  and 
ceilings — is  literally  as  black  as  soot.  Anything 
more  unlike  a  house  of  prayer  one  could  scarcely 
imagine.  But  the  work  in  Lam-bang  may  be 
described  as  "holding  the  fort."  Some  of  the 
noblest  victories  of  the  cross  have  been  won  in 
darker  dens  than  this,  and  worshippers  as  faithful 
may  meet  to  strengthen  one  another  in  God  in  an 
ex-pawn-shop  as  in  a  cathedral  which  has  been 
centuries  in  building.  The  Holy  One  "dwells 
not  in  temples  made  with  hands,"  but  in  the  hum- 
ble and  the  contrite  heart.     At  present  Christ's 


172     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

gospel  is  spoken  of  in  Lam-bang  as  foolishness, 
and  we  take  courage  from  the  thought  that  the 
weak  and  foolish  things  of  the  world  confound 
the  things  that  are  wise  and  mighty. 

After  service  at  Lam-bang  and  making  ar- 
rangements to  have  the  dirty  place  cleaned  and 
whitewashed,  five  hours'  walking  brought  us  to 
Ke-chhu  ("Residence  of  families  surnamed  Ke"). 
The  way  was  all  marshy  and  close  to  the  sea. 
Salt-making  is  here  an  important  occupation. 
The  low  land  is  covered  with  large  pans  of  con- 
crete, about  fifteen  feet  square  and  two  inches 
deep.  Sea  water  is  poured  in  and  allowed  to 
evaporate,  after  which  the  deposit  of  salt  is  swept 
up.  A  rainy  year  must  be  disastrous  to  the  trade, 
for  not  any  of  the  pans  are  covered  over.  The 
salt  is  very  bitter  and  coarse.  The  taste  of  it 
produces  much  the  same  sensation  as  biting  one's 
tongue. 

Passing  through  the  village  of  Yap-chhu  I  was 
astonished  to  see  the  words  "  Gospel  Hall"  on  a 
house  we  were  approaching.  It  proved  to  be  the 
dwelling  of  Christians,  used  in  former  years  as  a 
chapel.  About  thirty-five  persons  still  meet  there 
for  worship.  All  the  premises  were  clean,  light, 
and  airy.  The  brethren  gave  us  a  very  kind  re- 
ception, and  the  villagers  turned  out  en  masse  to 
have  a  look  at  the  stranger.     My  courteous  host 


DIARY   OF   A   MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.        1 73 

gave  me  the  use  of  an  upper  room  in  which  to 
dine,  and  I  and  my  companions  were  feasted  with 
abundant  rice  and  jiotatoes. 

Ke-chhu  chapel  is  very  elegant,  judged  by 
Chinese  notions.  It  is  the  central  hall  or  "  guest- 
room" of  a  good-sized  house.  The  guest-room 
of  a  Chinese  dwelling  has  only  three  walls,  the 
whole  of  the  front  being  open  to  the  court.  Here 
the  court  is  small,  but  there  are  trees  and  flowers 
to  ornament  it,  one  of  which  is  a  lofty  pumelo- 
tree,  that  fruit  of  which  the  Amoy  region  may 
dare  to  make  its  boast  in  face  of  the  whole  world. 

Quite  a  crowd  of  young  women  came  and 
stood  at  the  door  watching  me  and  my  friends. 
It  is  a  fact  worth  noting,  because  generally  the 
Chinese  women  are  so  extremely  shy  (the  rules  of 
society  demand  itj,  and  they  can  satisfy  their  cu- 
riosity only  by  brief  and  surreptitious  glances. 
But  this  evening  when  we  arrived  quite  a  bevy  of 
pretty  girls,  with  their  arms  about  one  another's 
necks,  crowded  up  to  the  door,  laughing  heartily 
and  chattering  like  starlings  in  a  tree,  joking 
good-humoredly  about  everything  we  did. 

The  females  on  this  side  of  Chinchew  are  very 
different  in  their  appearance  and  habits  from  their 
sisters  farther  south.  They  dress  more  simply 
and  are  much  more  active.  In  the  Amoy  region 
all  the  women  have  bound  feet  with  the  excep- 


174     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

tion  of  the  slave  girls,  so  called,  the  domestic 
drudges  who  stand  in  a  relation  very  much  like 
compulsory  servitude  to  their  mistresses.  The 
practice  of  foot-binding  leaves  its  mark  upon  the 
constitution,  the  inactivity  necessarily  entailed  on 
the  women  resulting  in  a  stunted  frame,  a  sallow 
complexion,  and  an  irritable  temper.  The  joy  of 
existence  must  be  a  thing  utterly  unknown  to 
the  small-footed  women. 

In  this  Chinchew  prefecture,  however,  great 
numbers  of  the  women  go  about  with  as  much 
freedom  as  the  men.  Their  dress  is  cotton  cloth 
of  a  dark  blue  color,  and  fitting  better  to  the 
shape  than  Chinese  garments  generally  do.  The 
trousers  reach  to  a  little  above  the  ankles,  around 
the  waist  an  apron  is  tied  which  falls  to  the  knees, 
the  jacket  fiits  almost  as  close  as  a  jersey,  and  round 
the  forehead,  an  inch  or  so  above  the  e)-ebrows, 
they  wear  a  coronet  of  black  satin,  which  gives  a 
pleasing  appearance  to  the  head.  Very  few  of 
them  have  their  feet  bound.  They  seem  to  be  as 
physically  energetic  as  the  other  sex.  On  the 
seashore  the  women  fish  with  the  nets,  and  in  the 
fields  they  are  working  with  the  hoe  and  the 
plough.  I  asked  some  of  them  how  it  was  their 
feet  were  not  bound,  and  they  said,  "  It  is  not  our 
custom;  for  ten  thousand  generations  the  women 
have  gone  about  with  their  feet  free."     The  fact 


DIARY   OF   A   MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.         1 75 

is  that  this  custom  of  foot-binding,  like  every 
other  in  China,  is  k)cal.  The  most  contradictory 
statements  have  been  made  by  writers  on  China, 
simply  because  they  have  not  mentioned  the 
purely  local  character  of  the  manners  and  cus- 
toms they  described. 

What  an  excitement  that  young  woman  now 
standing  at  the  door  would  create  if  she  walked 
down  Cheapside  in  that  dress  !  Her  pretty  feet 
are  bare;  her  trousers  scarlet,  with  dark  blue  fig- 
uring round  the  ankles;  her  gown  sky  blue, 
worked  round  the  border  of  the  neck  and  sleeves 
and  lower  edge  with  a  white  lace  pattern;  her 
hair  is  parted  in  the  middle,  brushed  down  in 
front,  and  at  the  back  there  is  a  wonderful  ar- 
rangement of  hair  over  a  wire  frame,  like  two 
half-opened  fans,  while  projecting  out  of  it  over 
the  head  is  a  large  silver  tuning-fork  with  made 
flowers  stuck  in  it.  She  has  just  been  making 
merry  jests  about  my  personal  appearance;  it  seems 
to  me  that  there  is  room  to  retort  with  interest. 

Service  was  at  nine  o'clock  this  morning  at 
Ke-chhu.  The  chapel  was  filled  by  a  crowd  who 
came  from  a  distance.  Only  two  or  three  of  this 
Christian  community  live  in  the  village.  Here 
as  elsewhere  it  is  commonly  the  case  that  few 
converts  are  made  in  the  immediate  neighborhood 
of  a  chapel.     The  Chinese  version  of  our  proverb, 


176    ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

"The  nearer  the  church  the  farther  from  God," 
is,  "Near  the  temple,  forsake  the  spirit."  Our 
congregations  are  mostly  gathered  from  long  dis- 
tances around  the  place  of  worship. 

There  is  this  that  is  notable  in  regard  to  the 
composition  of  churches  throughout  the  Amoy 
district,  and  to  a  large  extent  throughout  the 
churches  of  China,  that  seven-tenths  of  the  males 
belong  to  the  agricultural  class.  The  reason  is 
not  that  the  farmers  are  a  more  simple-minded 
and  unprejudiced  race  than  shopkeepers,  but  that 
they  have  not  as  serious  a  stumbling-block  in 
their  way  in  regard  to  Sabbath  observance.  The 
sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  is  made  a  law  of  the 
church,  not  only  because  there  is  sufficient  war- 
rant for  it  in  the  New  Testament,  but  also  because 
Sabbath  desecration  is  without  exception  coinci- 
dent with  laxity  of  religious  principle  and  ear- 
nestness. This  is  a  very  heavy  cross  for  a  shop- 
keeper to  take  up.  He  says  he  cannot  close  his 
shop;  that  if  he  should  he  would  be  ruined.  The 
farmer,  on  the  other  hand,  does  not  find  this  rule 
to  be  so  difficult  a  one  to  observe.  He  has  only 
to  work  a  little  harder  on  other  days  of  the  week, 
or  perhaps  one  should  rather  say  not  take  quite  so 
much  leisure  on  other  days  of  the  week;  he  can 
come  with  a  quiet  mind  to  the  Sabbath  services 
and  enjoy  the  rest  his  Creator  designed  he  should 


DIARY   OF   A   MISSIONARY  JOURNEY,         1 77 

have  and  obtain  the  sj^iritual  meat  his  soul  so 
greatly  needs. 

A  "peaceful  habitation"  and  a  "quiet  rest- 
ing-place" is  this  little  chapel  at  Ko-kwai.  The 
women  folks,  however,  are  rather  badly  treated. 
In  front  of  the  room  used  for  worship  is  a  small 
garden  with  trees  in  boxes.  At  the  end  of  this  is 
a  brick  wall  with  spaces  four  inches  square  be- 
tween the  bricks.  The  female  portion  of  the  con- 
gregation have  to  sit  behind  this  wall,  where  they 
can  scarcely  see  or  hear  at  all. 

I  slept  in  a  "chamber  on  the  wall  " — perhaps 
quite  as  good  as  that  provided  for  the  prophet 
Elisha — at  Ko-kwai  ("Ancient  Departmental 
City").  It  is  about  nine  feet  square;  one  half  is 
occupied  by  the  boards  of  the  bed.  The  floor  is 
made  of  pine-trees  split  in  two,  the  rounded  sides 
being  uppermost.  Spaces  between  these  admit 
air  nicely,  though  of  course  no  such  idea  was  in 
the  mind  of  the  builders.  There  are  three  square 
holes  to  let  in  light  and  air  from  the  outer  world. 
Were  it  not  for  several  varieties  of  vermin  who 
are  occupying  the  lodging  as  well  as  I,  it  would 
be  quite  a  comfortable  place  to  rest  in  at  the  end 
of  the  week. 

This  is  Saturday  night.  It  has  been  a  week 
of  much  travelling,  much  preaching,  much  talk- 
ing, and  much  anxious  consideration  of  the  affairs 


178     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUII-KIEN. 

of  the  churches;  but  there  are  signs  of  spiritual 
life  in  many  of  the  members  which  are  very  cheer- 
ing. The  Christian  church  in  these  parts  may 
be  likened  to  a  cloud  no  bigger  than  a  man's 
hand;  but  the  cloud  is  there,  and  we  believe  it 
will  grow  until  it  covers  all  and  breaks  in  showers 
of  blessing. 

At  seven  o'clock  this  morning  we  left  Ko-kwai 
for  the  little  village  of  Baw-pi.  Three  hours' 
march  brought  us  to  the  chapel,  situated  in  a 
valley  closely  shut  in  by  hills  reaching  to  a  height 
of  two  thousand  feet.  There  was  no  time  to  spare. 
The  congregation  had  been  assembled  an  hour  or 
two.  We  had  service  at  once,  settled  a  few  mat- 
ters of  business  in  the  church,  and  started  for  the 
district  city  of  Hui-an.  This  place  is  not  only  the 
centre  of  the  district  governmentally  and  geo- 
graphically, but  is  also  in  the  centre  of  the  group 
of  churches  in  these  parts.  It  might  be  called  the 
cathedral  city  of  the  diocese  of  our  friend  Lim, 
the  pastor.  In  that  sense,  and  I  assure  you  in 
that  sense  alone,  does  it  deserve  the  name  it 
bears  of  "Grace  and  Peace."  May  the  name 
prove  prophetic  of  the  grace  to  be  bestowed  upon 
it  and  of  the  peace  to  reign  in  it ! 

Five  months  ago  this  chapel  was  destroyed  by 
the  mob.  Three  thousand  persons  filled  the  space 
in   front.     The   pastor   Lim,    the   preacher,    and 


DIARY  OF   A   MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.         1/9 

several  others  escaped  over  the  back  wall,  and 
wandered  in  distant  villages  for  several  days  before 
ventnring  to  strike  the  road  for  Amoy.  Every- 
thing was  completely  destroyed  ;  even  the  tiles  of 
the  floor  were  broken  up.  There  seems  no  reason 
to  doubt  that  the  riot  was  instigated  by  the  man- 
darins. At  any  rate  the  ringleaders  belonged  to 
the  Yamens  and  have  received  no  punishment. 
The  British  Vice-Consul  came  up  to  discuss  the 
matter  with  the  authorities,  who  have  levied  a 
tax  on  the  town  for  repairs.  At  present  the 
chapel  is  only  half  finished.  The  floor  has  no 
tiles,  nor  is  the  roof  on.  So  we  have  had  an  airy 
service. 

These  riotous  Hui-an  folks  have  done  a  curi- 
ous thing,  which  shows  that  their  objection  to  us 
is  largely  superstitious  and  not  merely  dislike  of 
the  foreigner.  The  neighbors  complained  of  the 
singing  of  Christian  hymns.  They  said  it  upset 
the  idols  and  the  evil  spirits  of  the  ward,  which 
is  very  likely  indeed.  When  they  found  that  the 
chapel  was  really  to  be  rebuilt,  and  that  the  sing- 
ing misliked  of  demons  was  to  continue,  they  held 
a  consultation  as  to  what  they  could  do  to  protect 
the  poor  fiends  from  being  disturbed.  One  of  the 
wiseacres — a  Feng-shui  doctor,  I  suppose — sug- 
gested that  a  wall  should  be  erected  in  front  of  the 
chapel  and  that   dragons   and  demons  should  b^ 


iSo     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

depicted  thereon  in  a  state  of  frenzy.  Thereupon 
they  put  themselves  to  the  trouble  and  expense 
of  building  a  wall  seven  feet  high  and  many  yards 
in  length  at  a  distance  of  perhaps  twenty  feet 
away  from  the  entrance  to  the  chapel.  The  artist 
has  succeeded  in  painting  some  of  the  most  rabid- 
looking  wild  beasts  I  ever  saw.  There  are  also 
demons,  but  I  am  no  judge  of  those,  as  I  presume 
the  artist  is.  But  thanks  to  the  superstition,  the 
deluded  haters  of  the  Christian  faith  have  put  up 
a  wall  which  gives  a  neat  appearance  to  our  chapel 
entry  and  forms  a  broad  and  quiet  courtyard, 
much  more  pleasant  than  when  exposed  to  the 
piece  of  waste  land  in  front. 

The  crowded  congregation  this  afternoon  was 
representative  of  almost  the  whole  diocese.  There 
were  also  a  few  friends  from  Amoy,  and  from 
Changchow,  a  hundred  and  ten  miles  away. 

So  ends  the  week  of  visitation  of  these  seven 
churches.  It  has  been  laborious,  but  very  stimu- 
lating and  encouraging.  These  isolated  congre- 
gations seem  in  a  much  more  healthy  condition 
than  those  nearer  to  Amoy.  The  number  of 
baptized  persons  is  upward  of  200,  and  they  are 
contributing  steadily  and  freely  for  the  support  of 
the  ministry,  although  extremely  poor.  If  a  for- 
eign missionary  could  reside  in  Hui-an  for.  six 
months  of  the  year,  going  out  alternate  Sundays 


DIARY  OF  A   MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.         l8l 

to  one  of  the  other  six  churches,  the  work  might 
be  very  largely  expanded.  There  is  quite  a  Chris- 
tian sentiment  growing  in  the  district.  Three 
congregations  of  professedly  Christian  Chinese, 
numbering  in  all  ii6  persons,  are  meeting  every 
Sunday  for  worship  in  their  own  neighborhoods 
without  being  under  the  supervision  of  missiona- 
ries or  native  preachers.  "The  harvest  truly  is 
plenteous,  but  the  laborers  are  few.  Pray  ye 
therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  that  he  will 
send  forth  laborers  into  his  harvest." 

THE   GREAT   BRIDGE  OF   LO-IU. 

At  the  market-town  of  Loyang,  or  Lo-iu, 
eighty  miles  northeast  of  Amoy,  stands  a  bridge 
which  is  one  of  the  monuments  of  ancient  art 
and  enterprise  in  China.  It  is  built  across  an 
estuary  which  at  low  tide  is  a  mud  flat  covered 
with  oyster-beds.  The  river,  at  this  point  about 
forty  yards  wide,  runs  rapidly  near  the  centre  of 
the  expanse  of  mud.  When  the  tide  is  in  the 
whole  is  completely  covered  from  shore  to  shore. 

The  bridge  is  a  thousand  yards  long.  I  timed 
myself  to  nine  and  a  half  minutes'  quick  walk- 
ing in  crossing  it.  One  hundred  and  twenty 
piers,  which  rise  to  nearly  forty  feet  above  high- 
water  mark,  support  the  long  masses  of  granite 
which  span  the  space  between  the  shores.     The 


Blver  ana  lioiid  in  Chin 


11 


l82     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

buttresses  on  the  north  side  are  very  massive  in 
order  to  resist  the  pressure  of  the  spring  tor- 
rents. After  800  years  of  wear  the  roadway  is  in 
very  good  condition.  Five  blocks  of  stone,  each 
twenty  feet  and  more  in  length  and  two  feet  in 
breadth,  form  the  road,  which  is  therefore  about 
ten  feet  broad,  though  it  varies  somewhat.  On 
either  side  is  a  heavy  balustrade  or  railing  of 
massive  granite,  held  in  position,  not  by  cement, 
but  block  fitting  into  block  in  sockets. 

The  story  of  its  origin  is  substantially  written 
on  a  tablet  at  one  end  of  the  structure.  Before 
the  bridge  was  built  travellers  and  market  people 
were  compelled  to  cross  this  estuary  in  the  ferry- 
boats, or  they  must  needs  make  a  long  detour  which 
would  be  a  good  part  of  a  day's  journey.  But 
there  are  hills  to  the  north  at  which  they  used  to 
look  with  grewsome  awe,  because  sudden  squalls 
would  come  down  upon  the  water  in  spring  and 
summer  and  many  lives  were  lost  by  the  upset- 
ting of  the  boats.  These  squalls  did  not  arise 
like  common  breezes.  They  were  caused  by  two 
wicked  fairies  who  lived  up  there  among  the  hills 
shaped  like  a  tortoise  and  a  snake,  or  at  the  bottom 
of  the  river  in  the  form  of  a  boat  or  a  man  ! 

And  this  was  the  way  they  carried  on  their 
mischievous  and  wicked  tricks.  When  they  had 
come  down  from  the  hills  and  had  transformed 


DIARY   OF   A  MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.         1 83 

themselves  into  a  man  and  boat,  the  boat  and 
man  used  to  appear  at  the  ferry  to  seek  for  fares. 
There  was  no  telling  them  from  ordinary  boats 
and  men  ;  so  they  took  their  passengers  into  mid- 
stream, and  then  came  the  terrible  ' '  squall  of  the 
fairies;"  the  boat  sank  ;  the  man  and  boat  became 
a  snake  and  a  tortoise,  and  devoured  the  poor 
people  at  their  leisure. 

Now  it  happened  that  about  the  year  looo 
A.  D.  a  boat  full  of  market-folk  was  nearing  the 
fatal  spot  where  so  many  people  had  been  carried 
off  by  the  fairies.  The  wind  began  to  blow  all 
ways  at  once.  The  waves  broke  into  the  midst 
of  the  passengers,  who  cried  out  that  the  tortoise 
and  the  snake  were  upon  them.  Amid  the  lamen- 
tations, however,  a  voice  was  heard  distinctly 
saying,  "Chhah,  the  mandarin  in  the  boat,  must 
build  a  bridge,"  No  sooner  were  the  words  ut- 
tered than  the  winds  subsided  and  the  boat  reached 
the  shore  in  safety. 

Great  and  grave  was  the  discussion  as  to  the 
mysterious  voice.  There  was  clearly  something 
supernatural  about  it.  "Who  among  us  bears 
the  surname  Chhah  ?"  No  one  replied,  until  at 
length  a  woman  timidly  confessed  that  her  hus- 
band's surname  was  Chhah,  and  that  she  had  mar- 
ried him  a  few  months  before.  With  one  consent 
all  declared  that  she  would  become  the  mother  of 


184     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

a  man  whose  work  should  be  to  build  a  bridge 
over  this  dangerous  creek,  and  so  defeat  the 
wicked  fairies. 

Not  long  after  this  a  son  was  born,  whom  she 
named  Siang,  and  she  vowed  that  Chhah  Siang 
should  obey  "the  heavenly  command."  He 
proved  to  be  an  intelligent  child.  His  mother 
wrought  upon  his  youthful  imagination  by  con- 
stantly describing  what  a  fine  thing  it  was  to  be  a 
mandarin  and  rule  over  large  masses  of  people. 
She  gave  him  a  good  education  which  would  fit 
him  for  office.  And  as  he  grew  into  youth  she 
revealed  to  him  the  remarkable  facts  that  had 
heralded  his  birth.  The  boy  was  powerfully  im- 
pressed by  the  story  she  told  of  the  voice  from  the 
air.  He  resolved  to  spare  no  efforts  to  fulfil  his 
mission. 

He  had,  however,  to  face  a  very  grave  diffi- 
culty. There  is  an  ancient  law  in  China  that 
forbids  any  magistrate  to  hold  office  in  the  neigh- 
borhood where  he  was  born.  What  was  to  be 
done?  How  could  he  overcome  this  formidable 
barrier  to  his  noble  ambition?  He  had  passed 
his  early  examinations  and  was  ready  for  office. 
He  determined  now  to  proceed  to  Peking,  to  seek 
employment  in  the  imperial  palace,  and  then  to 
wait  his  opportunity.  He  was  about  fifty  years 
of  age  and  in  daily  attendance  upon  the  emperor 


DIARY   OF   A    MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.         185 

when  he  matured  his  plans  for  carrying  out  his 
life-long  project.  Knowing  that  the  emperor  was 
intending  to  take  a  walk  in  the  palace  grounds, 
Chhali  Siang  went  down  the  grove  an  hour  before, 
and  having  previously  chosen  a  tree  with  an  ants' 
nest  at  its  foot,  he  wrote  in  large  characters  with 
a  brush  and  a  pot  of  honey,  "  Chhah  Siang,  the 
learned,  be  magistrate  in  your  native  prefectural 
city."  He  then  returned  to  the  palace  to  accom- 
j^any  the  emperor  on  his  walk. 

The  party  soon  set  out,  and  passing  down  the 
grove  the  emperor  caught  sight  of  a  mass  of  ants 
marshalled  in  squadrons  which  shaped  them  on 
the  trunk  of  the  tree  into  Chinese  characters.  In 
breathless  astonishment  the  emperor  stood  still 
and  read  aloud,  "Chhah  Siang,  the  learned,  be 
magistrate  in  your  native  prefectural  city!"  In 
a  moment  Chhah  Siang,  pretending  not  to  notice 
that  the  emperor  was  only  reading  what  was  on 
the  tree,  fell  upon  his  knees  and  thanked  him 
for  the  appointment.  In  vain  the  emperor  pro- 
tested that  he  had  not  intended  to  nominate  him 
for  office.  The  Celestial  prince  was  reminded  that 
he  could  not  recall  the  words  he  certainly  had  ut- 
tered. The  law  was  overruled  for  this  once,  see- 
ing that  there  seemed  to  be  a  divine  omen  in  it. 
Chhah  Siang  returned  to  Fuh-kien,  and  became 
prefect  of  Chinchew,  the  city  that  governs  Lo-iu. 


l86     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

At  once  Chhah  Siaiig  began  to  gather  funds 
and  to  make  needful  preparation  for  the  great  work 
he  had  before  him.  He  devoted  all  his  leisure 
time  to  rousing  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  in 
regard  to  the  proposed  bridge.  He  called  on  the 
whole  prefecture  for  voluntary  subscriptions.  The 
towns  and  villages  caught  their  governor's  enthu- 
siasm and  responded  heartily. 

The  task  was  gigantic.  After  many  years  of 
labor,  in  which  vast  sums  of  money  had  been 
spent,  it  seemed  likely  to  fail  because  of  the  im- 
possibility of  laying  the  foundations  of  the  centre 
piers,  where  still  the  stream  flows  rapidly  at  low 
tide.  If  the  river  were  to  run  almost  dry  the 
thing  might  be  done;  but  unfortunately  even  a 
long  i^eriod  of  drought  scarcely  affected  this  part 
of  the  stream  at  all.  After  suffering  distress  of 
mind  for  many  months  and  trying  every  imagina- 
ble scheme,  a  happy  thought  occurred  to  Chhah 
Siang.  He  resolved  to  write  a  letter  to  the  god 
of  the  sea  and  to  ask  his  Marine  Majesty  to  be  so 
kind  as  to  draw  off  all  the  water.  When  the  let- 
ter was  ready  Chhah,  sitting  on  his  magistrate's 
bench,  said,  "Who  is  able  to  descend  to  the  sea?" 
A  man  in  the  chamber  at  once  said,  "  Here  am  I, 
your  Excellency."  Now  it  should  be  explained 
that  Chinese  names  are  usually  translatable,  and 
on  this  occasion  it  happened  that  in  the  hall  was 


DIARY  OF  A  MISSIONARY  JOURNEY.        187 

a  man  whose  name  was  Ui  Loh-iu  ("Able  De- 
scend-sea  " ),  who,  thinking  himself  called,  replied 
to  Chhah's  question.  They  laughed  a  little  at 
the  mistake,  but  regarded  it  as  a  good  omen,  and 
Mr.  "Able  Descend-sea"  was  compelled  to  make 
good  his  name. 

Ui  Loh-iu  took  the  letter  and  proceeded  to 
seek  an  interview  with  the  god  of  the  sea.  He 
chose  a  spot  at  low  tide  that  was  moderately  clean 
and  lay  down  to  wait  for  the  tide  to  return  and 
cover  him.  Here  he  fell  asleep,  and  when  he 
awoke  he  found  himself  still  in  the  same  place 
and  quite  comfortable;  but  his  letter  to  Neptune 
was  gone,  while  in  its  place  was  another  addressed 
to  the  prefect.  It  did  not  occur  to  him  that  this 
was  the  answer  required,  but  he  thought  it  best  to 
bring  it  to  Chinchew  and  deliver  it  to  his  master. 
Opening  it,  Chhah  Siang  found  only  one  large 
character  written  inside — the  word  vinegar. 

This  was  indeed  most  confusing.  Long  and  ear- 
nestly did  the  prefect  gaze  upon  it,  till  he  felt 
himself  turning  sour  and  angry.  But  a  lucky 
fortune-teller  made  a  happy  hit  by  suggesting 
that  the  character  Ts^o  could  be  taken  to  pieces, 
thus, 


l88     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

i:  -P  —  aw 

Two  Ten  One  Day  Evening 

Twenty-first  day^  at  evening.  The  explanation  was 
at  once  clear.  The  laconic  reply  was  from  Nep- 
tune himself!  Preparations  were  made  in  antici- 
pation of  the  water  being  very  low  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  twenty-first  of  the  month,  and  were  not 
made  in  vain.  The  water  all  ran  off  and  the 
foundations  of  the  central  piers  were  successfully 
laid  before  the  tide  returned.  No  further  hin- 
drance delayed  the  progress  of  the  work.  The 
Lo-iu  bridge  was  completed  before  Chhah  Sl- 
ang's death — a  million  and  a  half  pounds  ster- 
ling having  been  spent  upon  it.  So  runs  the 
legend. 

In  1877,  when  the  writer  spent  some  days  in 
Lo-iu,  the  monument  to  the  memory  of  Chhah 
Siang  was  being  renovated.  This  must  have 
been  at  or  near  the  eight-hundredth  anniversary 
of  its  erection. 


OVER  THE   HILLS  OF   FUU-KIEN.  1 89 


CHAPTER  VII. 

OVER  THE   HILLS  OF  FUH-KIEN. 
Hing-vvha  ("  The  Prosperous  and  Influential  "),  October  17. 

So  far  our  trip  has  been  devoted  entirely  to  the 
visitation  of  the  churches.  But  now  an  Ameri- 
can missionary  brother  (who  came  from  Amoy 
yesterday  to  join  me)  is  going  to  travel  with  me 
into  unknown  parts.  We  are  first  going  to  Foo- 
chow  as  delegates  from  these  southern  churches 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  churches  at  Foochow 
and  district;  and  then  we  propose  to  go  over  hill 
and  dale  and  decide  a  few  geographical  and  lin- 
guistic questions  that  bear  directly  upon  the  ex- 
tension of  the  Amoy  missions. 

The  linguistic  difficulties  of  this  region  are 
great,  as  they  are  all  through  the  south  of  China. 
North  of  the  Yang-tsze  the  "mandarin"  or  court 
language  will  serve  you  anywhere;  but  south  of 
that  river  the  language  is  different  at  every  few 
miles.  There  are  considerable  differences  between 
the  languages  of  Amoy  and  Hui-an ;  and  half  way 
between  Hui-an  and  this  place,  at  the  market- 
town  of  Hong-tan,  we  suddenly  found  ourselves 
strangers  and  foreigners  indeed,  for  we  could  not 


igo     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

understand  more  than  a  few  words  nor  make  the 
people  understand  ns.  Now  for  nearly  three 
weeks  "I  shall  be  unto  him  that  speaketh  a  bar- 
barian, and  he  that  speaketh  shall  be  a  barbarian 
unto  me. ' ' 

The  scenery  along  the  road  was  very  beauti- 
ful. The  hills  are  lofty  and  abrupt,  the  valleys 
wooded  and  dotted  over  with  peaceful  villages. 
We  met  also  a  few  horsemen  on  the  paths,  which 
is  worth  chronicling  in  these  districts. 

The  most  notable  things,  however,  were  the 
graves  on  the  slopes  near  the  road.  Some  of 
them  occupy  a  space  of  two  hundred  feet  in  length 
by  sixty  in  width.  Series  of  well-made  stone 
steps  in  long  flights  lead  up  to  the  altar  before  the 
grave.  Along  each  side  of  the  approach  to  the 
residence  of  the  spirit  are  statues  in  pairs,  first  of 
men,  then  horses,  deer,  tigers,  standing  looking 
at  one  another  across  the  intervening  space.  The 
Chinese  are  not  great  sculptors,  and  the  less  said 
of  their  statuary  the  better  for  the  reputation  of 
the  artists. 

We  slept  in  Hong-tan  last  night  at  the  chapel 
of  the  Foochow  Episcopal  Methodist  mission. 
This  is  their  farthest  station  south,  and  less  than 
twelve  miles  from  the  farthest  north  of  our  own. 
The  chapel  is  a  horrible  den,  a  long  shed,  forty 
paces  by  six,  standing  on  the  main  street. 


OVER  THE   HILLS  OF   FUH-KIEN.  I91 

We  are  enjoyinor  the  hospitality  of  our  breth- 
ren from  Foochow  once  more  in  this  "  Prosperous 
and  Influential  City."  The  pastor  in  charge  is  a 
remarkable  man.  Last  year  he  appeared  at  Con- 
ference with  something  laid  upon  his  heart.  He 
rose  and  said,  ' '  Brothers,  I  must  speak.  I  have 
come  to  the  resolution  that  I  will  never  more  re- 
ceive any  pay  from  the  foreign  missionary.  Wher- 
ever I  go  our  people  say  to  me,  '  You  preach  the 
foreigner's  words  because  you  eat  the  foreigner's 
rice.'  That  reproach  shall  never  be  true  in  my 
case.  I  will  receive  not  another  cash  from  our 
foreign  pastors.  I  will  go  back  to  Hing-wha  and 
the  churches  of  the  district  and  say,  '  Brothers,  I 
am  your  Presiding  Elder;  it  is  your  duty  to  sup- 
port me,  so  that  I  may  do  the  work  of  the  Lord 
among  you.  I  need  but  little;  give  me  enough 
to  keep  myself  and  my  family.'  "  So  he  returned 
to  Hing-wha  and  told  his  flock  what  he  had  done. 
The  first  month  or  two  they  gave  him  only  two 
or  three  dollars,  but  after  a  short  time  they  raised 
enough  for  him  to  live  on  comfortably,  with  an 
additional  sum  to  enable  him  to  travel  about  to 
visit  the  churches.  The  following  year  four  pas- 
tors under  this  Presiding  Elder  took  the  same 
course,  and  are  now  being  wholly  supported  by 
the  people  to  whom  they  minister. 

Tlie  chapel  is  a  beautiful  one  and  quite  native 


192     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

in  its  style.  Entering  from  a  wide  and  quiet 
street  there  is  a  hall  for  week-day  preaching  to 
the  heathen.  Then  there  is  a  good  court,  partly 
covered,  where  casual  spectators  can  stand  to 
watch  a  religious  service.  Along  two  sides  of 
this  court  are  rooms  occupied  by  the  families  of 
the  pastor  and  the  chapel-keeper.  The  chapel  is 
on  the  side  of  the  court  opposite  the  daily  preach- 
ing-hall. It  is  railed  off  from  the  court  by  orna- 
mental woodwork,  within  which  only  the  regular 
congregation  are  admitted.  In  accordance  with 
Episcopal  Methodist  customs  there  are  com- 
munion railings  in  front  of  the  pulpit  and  table. 
The  whole  arrangements  are  admirably  adapted 
to  the  purposes  of  the  church  and  quite  in  accor- 
dance with  Chinese  notions,  except  in  one  respect 
— the  chapel,  court,  and  hall  are  faultlessly  clean. 

Gu-kkoe  ("  Fish-stream  ")  Inn,  October  iS. 

From  day-dawn  till  five  o'clock  in  the  evening 
we  have  been  wandering  through  magnificent 
valleys,  covered  with  rice,  or  climbing  the  hills. 

To  our  great  surprise  we  are  speaking  the 
Amoy  language  once  more.  The  result  of  in- 
quiry into  this  phenomenon  is  that  the  Hing- 
wha  language  is  an  importation  from  Swatow  or 
farther  south,  and  that  it  occuj)ies  an  egg-shaped 
piece  of  territory  about  thirty-five  miles  from 
north  to  south  and  sixty  miles  from  east  to  west. 


OVER  THE   HILLS  OF  FUII-KIEN.  193 

In  HiiTg-wha  we  could  not  make  ourselves  under- 
stood except  with  the  very  greatest  difficulty,  or 
not  at  all.  Here  we  converse  freely  with  any  one, 
and  for  the  last  hour  our  lodging  has  been  a 
preaching-room.  As  I  write  a  preacher  travelling 
with  us  is  sitting  at  my  elbow  discussing  the  doc- 
trine with  three  natives  of  the  town. 

We  reckon  that  for  a  Chinese  inn  we  are  in 
good  quarters.  Try  to  imagine  it.  The  floor  is 
of  earth,  of  course  perfectly  black,  but  not  as  un- 
even as  usual,  and,  inirabile  dictti!  it  is  swept. 
The  roof  is  open  to  the  tiles,  and  the  customary 
dense  festooning  of  spiders'  webs  is  absent.  The 
walls  are  perfectly  black,  it  is  true,  but  at  least 
they  are  whole.  There  are  five  sets  of  bed-boards 
around  the  room.  You  would  call  the  bed-cham- 
ber a  shed;  we  are  very  grateful  that  we  are  in 
such  a  clean  resting-place  and  that  even  the  mos- 
quitoes do  not  favor  a  room  so  free  from  smells 
and  dirt.  These  five  beds  are  to  be  occupied  by 
my  comrade,  myself,  the  preacher,  two  servants, 
and  two  baggage-bearers.  Our  six  chair-bearers 
fend  for  themselves. 

The  Methodist  Schooner  "  Lottie,"  October  19. 

At  half-past  four  this  morning  we  had  break- 
fasted and  were  upon  the  road.  Each  chair- 
bearer  carried  a  torch.  It  was  a  gallant  proces- 
sion we  made  in  going  down  the  long  street  of 


194     ALCHS'G  RIVER  AND   ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

'*Fish  Stream."  Rain  had  fallen  heavily  during 
the  night  and  the  morning  air  was  delicionsly 
cool.  We  began  at  once  to  enter  magnificent 
country  equal  in  beauty  to  the  best  parts  of 
Perthshire  and  wonderfully  suggestive  of  the 
Trossachs.  The  hills  rise  to  upwards  of  4,000 
feet,  and  the  tops  appeared  to  be  in  many  cases 
inaccessible.  Six  times  to-day  we  were  looking 
down  into  a  valley  shaped  precisely  like  a  basin. 
One  view  was  particularly  grand.  We  had  just 
climbed  a  long  and  difficult  ascent  heavily  over- 
hung with  trees,  when  suddenly  the  country  was 
clear  in  front  for  several  miles.  The  bed  of  the 
valley  was  perhaps  a  thousand  feet  below  us.  On 
the  left  was  a  bank  of  hills  six  miles  in  length  and 
three  to  four  thousand  feet  high,  the  slope  of  the 
base  so  regular  that  nothing  obstructed  the  view 
through  its  entire  length.  A  hundred  shades  of 
color  painted  the  scene  with  surpassing  beauty. 
The  bed  of  the  valley  was  the  golden  yellow  of 
the  rice  of  the  second  har\'est.  Many  scores  of 
villages,  large  and  small,  were  dotted  over  this 
immense  field,  each  of  them  with  the  regulation 
banyan-trees  and  their  lengthy  shadows.  The 
various  products  of  fields  on  terraces  all  gave 
their  own  colors  to  the  slopes  to  a  height  of  a 
thousand  feet.  Then  came  the  moorland  and  the 
purple  heather,  and  above  all  this  dream  of  beauty 


OVER  THE    HILLS   OF   FUH-KIEN.  195 

the  "gray  and  purple  pile  of  granite  rock  thrust 
itself  into  the  clouds,  gaining  apparent  increase 
of  height  from  the  fact  that  snowy  wreaths  of 
mist  crowned  their  heads. 

We  spoke  Amoyese  until  midday,  and  then 
the  dialect  suddenly  changed  and  the  natives  and 
we  were  strangers  to  one  another  once  more.  The 
preacher  with  us  agrees  that  purer  Amoyese  is 
spoken  on  this  side  of  Hiiig-wha  than  on  its  im- 
mediate southern  border. 

We  dined  at  10:30  at  the  city  of  "Great 
Peace,"  drank  tea  at  3:30  in  the  town  of  "Great 
Rio-hteousness,"  where  we  met  in  the  street  a 
man  sent  by  our  Foochow  friends  to  meet  us.  We 
have  been  running  down  a  tributary  to  the  IMin 
and  are  now  on  the  broad  river  approaching  Foo- 
chow. We  humble  deni^^ens  of  the  south  are  duly 
appreciative  of  the  luxury  of  this  gospel  boat,  the 
"Lottie." 

Eng-hok  ("  Everlasting  Happiness  "),  November  2. 

For  the  last  twelve  days  we  have  been  in 
Foochow  ("The  Happy  City"),  being  very  hos- 
pitably entertained  by  one  after  another  of  the 
kind  Christian  brotherhood  belonging  to  Meth- 
odist Episcopal,  Congregational  (American  Board 
of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions),  and  the 
English  Episcopal  Church.  There  is  a  great  deal 
in  the  Chinese  manners  and  civil  arrangements  in 


196     ALONG  RIVER  AND   ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

Foochow  that  diflfers  altogether  from  the  more 
southern  parts.  The  people  seem  a  sturdier  race, 
with  a  more  decided  style  of  speech.  The  city  is 
remarkable  in  shape.  The  walled  portion  lies  in 
the  bed  of  a  valley  which  has  a  level  some  six 
miles  across  and  surrounded  on  three  sides  by 
high  hills.  Looking  from  the  foreign  settlement 
the  walled  town  is  not  visible,  because  of  two  lit- 
tle hills  on  either  side  of  the  South  Gate.  From 
U-sang,  one  of  these  hills,  is  the  best  place  to  get 
a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  whole.  Within  the  walls 
are  nearly  a  million  inhabitants,  and  there  are 
about  six  hundred  thousand  outside.  A  street  of 
shops  three  miles  long  joins  the  walled  city  with 
the  principal  suburb  and  leads  over  the  ' '  Bridge 
of  Ten  Thousand  Ages ' '  to  the  hill  on  which  are 
the  foreign  warehouses  and  residences. 

The  Methodist  Conference  was  extremely  in- 
teresting. A  hundred  pastors  and  preachers  and 
twenty  Americans  and  English  were  present.  ]\Iy 
companion  and  I  addressed  them  through  an  in- 
terpreter. The  spirit  of  earnestness  and  devout- 
ness  in  the  whole  assembly  was  very  marked.  A 
visit  like  this  provides  a  good  opportunity  for 
picking  up  new  ideas,  which  may  find  expression 
in  improved  methods  elsewhere.  In  one  thing 
our  Foochow  brethren  are  decidedly  behind  Amoy, 
and  that  is  in  church  psalmody. 


OVER  THE   HILLS   OF   FUH-KIEN.  197 

We  left  the  "Happy  City"  and  our  esteemed 
and  hospitable  friends  therein  yesterday  at  seven 
o'clock.  Two  hours'  walk  brought  us  to  the 
"Lottie"  where  she  lay  awaiting  us,  with  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  flying  at  the  mainmast.  The 
trip  yesterday  morning  lay  along  a  stream  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  yards  wide,  with  high  wooded  hills 
descending  right  to  the  river  bank.  In  the  after- 
noon we  arrived  at  the  bottom  of  the  rapids  and 
anchored  for  the  night.  The  evening  was  spent 
in  hiring  boats  to  go  up  the  river  and  the  weari- 
some haggling  over  cash  that  always  accompanies 
transactions  with  boatmen  and  chair-bearers. 

This  morning  was  bitterly  cold.  We  put  on 
overcoats  and  wrapped  ourselves  in  railway  rugs, 
and  yet  could  not  keep  warm.  During  the  day, 
however,  it  became  so  sultry  that  we  wore  only 
such  garments  as  propriety  demanded,  and  finally 
reached  Eng-hok. 

The  chapel  at  Eng-hok,  or  "  Everlasting  Hap- 
piness," belongs  to  the  American  Congregation- 
alists.  There  is  a  native  pastor  resident  at  the 
chapel  and  the  cause  flourishes,  notwithstanding 
the  small  amount  of  light,  the  dirt,  and  the  bad 
smells.  The  house  is  built  upon  scaffolding-poles 
stuck  into  the  bank  of  the  river.  The  room  we 
are  occupying  is  a  loft  whose  glassless  window 

looks  out  upon  the  rapids  of  the  river.     As  far  as 
12 


198     ALOXG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

the  eye  can  reach  the  river  is  torn  to  foam,  and 
the  noise  is  very  great. 

This  evening  we  were  invited  to  a  Chinese 
feast.  The  guests  were  nine  Chinamen,  two 
Americans,  and  myself.  Twelve  basins  of  un- 
savory-looking food  occupied  the  centre  of  the 
table.  Into  these  we  were  to  dip  with  our  choj)- 
sticks  for  anything  we  had  a  taste  for.  The  Chi- 
nese have  an  unj)leasant  habit  of  foraging  in  these 
common  bowls  for  tit-bits  with  the  chopsticks 
which  every  moment  they  put  into  their  mouths. 
I  skirmished  among  the  bowls  for  myself  and 
brethren  to  see  what  it  was  possible  to  eat  without 
discomfort.  I  was  sorry  to  see  these  Christians 
drink  far  too  much  samshoo.  The  wine-cup  is 
exceedingly  small,  but  they  filled  it  so  many  times 
that  we  foreigners  discussed  the  need  of  starting 
a  total  abstinence  society  in  connection  with  the 
churches.  The  Chinese  are  as  a  rule  very  ab- 
stemious in  regard  to  alcoholic  liquors,  but  I  have 
noticed  many  times  that  when  they  can  get  sam- 
shoo for  nothing,  as  at  a  feast  like  this,  they  have 
no  objection  to  excessive  indulgence.  When  we, 
or  rather  they^  had  "eaten  full  "  of  balls  of  pork, 
pieces  of  pork-fat  floating  in  oil,  pig's  liver, 
chicken,  cuttle-fish,  oysters,  vermicelli,  greens, 
beans,  water-melon  seeds,  and  several  other  messes 
for  which  I  could  find  no  name,  piled-up  bowls  of 


OVER  THE   HILLS  OF   FUII-KIEN.  199 

rice  were  brought  in,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of 
all  who  were  getting  nauseated  with  oil.  At  this 
stage  my  servant  was  taken  ill  under  the  com- 
bined eflfects  of  samshoo  and  pork-fat  and  had  to 
leave  the  table,  which  broke  through  the  etiquette 
of  the  party  and  allowed  us  opportunity  to  escape. 

Siong-khau  ("  Mouth  of  the  Hills  "),  Sunday,  November  5. 

We  parted  with  our  kind  friends  at  "Everlast- 
ing Happiness"  on  Friday  morning  and  have  had 
two  very  hard  days'  travelling.  The  scenery  is 
so  magnificent  that  we  are  getting  surfeited  of 
mountains,  chasms,  overhanging  rocks,  waterfalls, 
and  rapids.  For  twenty  miles  the  river  was  one 
long  series  of  falls,  with  an  occasional  pool  like  a 
miniature  lake.  The  rugged  path  lay  along  the 
precipitous  face  of  the  hills  by  the  side  of  the 
river,  often  at  a  height  of  two  hundred  feet  above 
it.  Both  days  the  journey  was  occasionally  spiced 
with  danger.  No  description  can  give  any  idea 
of  the  badness  of  Chinese  paths  in  inland  and 
mountainous  country.  More  than  once  the  chair- 
bearers  lost  their  footing  and  came  near  being  pre- 
cipitated into  the  abyss.  We  have  walked  the 
greater  part  of  both  days  because  of  the  danger  of 
falling.  For  seven  hours  on  Friday  we  were 
crossing  a  high  hill,  reaching  an  eating-house  at 
5:30,  where  we  lay  in  the  loft  for  the  night. 

Starting  very  early  yesterday  morning  in  a 


200     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

drizzling  rain,  we  wandered  on  till  eight  o'clock, 
when  we  rested  under  some  pine-trees  for  morn- 
ing worship.  We  were  quite  a  considerable  cara- 
van— two  Americans,  one  Englishman,  the  Chin- 
chew  and  Eng-hok  preachers,  a  native  doctor, 
three  servants,  and  nine  chair-bearers.  It  was  a 
curious  sight,  that  "early  worship"  in  the  wood. 
To  the  bearers  it  was  of  course  utterly  without 
meaning;  but  to  the  rest  of  us  it  was  a  very  sol- 
emn and  beautiful  thing  to  be  singing  the  praises 
of  God  amid  some  of  his  grandest  works  and  to 
be  kneeling  in  reverent  worship  on  the  soft  carpet 
of  the  pine-needles,  while  the  only  sound  was  the 
low  sobbing  of  the  wind  through  the  pine-trees 
and  the  splash  of  the  waves  in  the  river  half  a 
mile  below  us. 

The  journey  on  Saturday  was  much  the  same 
as  on  Friday.  We  crossed  the  river  in  a  very 
old  punt  full  of  holes,  through  which  the  water 
rushed  when  any  of  its  freight  of  eighteen  persons 
moved  about  so  as  to  sway  the  boat.  We  were 
thankful  to  cross  the  broad,  deep  pool  in  safety. 

It  is  raining  hard,  as  it  did  yesterday.  What 
shall  we  do  if  it  continues?  We  are  willing  pris- 
oners here  for  this  Sabbath,  but  the  prospect  of 
being  detained  long  is  not  pleasant.  The  next 
three  days'  journey  is  through  more  difficult  coun- 
try and  quite  impassable  in  the  wet. 


OVER  THE   HILLS  OF  EUH-KIEN.  20I 

We  are  very  glad  of  this  Sunday's  rest.  We 
Auioyese  also  found  some  work  to  do.  Several 
natives  of  Amoy  came  to  look  at  the  foreigners, 
and  the  result  has  been  a  long  and  very  interest- 
ing talk  with  them  about  the  concerns  of  the  soul. 
Preaching  has  been  going  on  all  day  in  a  lan- 
guage not  understood  of  Amoyites.  The  chapel 
has  been  open  eight  years,  but  there  is  only  one 
convert,  an  opium-smoker  for  thirty  years !  He 
kept  an  opium  den,  but  on  his  conversion  gave 
up  both  the  habit  and  the  trade. 

About  twelve  o'clock  we  were  getting  very 
fagged  with  tramping  along  in  the  wet  upon  such 
terribly  uneven  paths,  when  we  entered  what 
looked  like  a  little  grove  of  banyan  and  bamboo. 
There  was  an  inn,  the  front  of  which  was  com- 
pletely shaded  by  the  dense  foliage  above  and 
around,  standing  on  the  right  of  an  open  space 
among  the  trees.  We  entered  the  house  and 
found  it  absolutely  devoid  of  furniture.  The 
large  guest-room,  of  which  we  straightway  took 
possession,  would  have  comfortably  seated  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  persons  to  table  in  European  fash- 
ion, but  it  was  quite  empty.  Even  the  fixtures 
seemed  to  have  been  dragged  away,  and  a  station- 
ary stove  was  in  a  ruinous  condition.  Nor  were 
there  any  occupants  apparently.  There  was  one 
decrepit  beggar,  as  we  thought  him,  engaged  in 


202     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

stirring  liis  opium  preparatory  to  smoking  it.  We 
took  him  for  a  visitor  like  ourselves,  but  he  proved 
to  be  the  tenant  and  the  owner  of  this  large  and 
handsome  property.  It  is  certainly  one  of  the 
finest  private  inns  I  have  seen,  and  the  guest-room 
looks  out  upon  a  scene  of  surpassing  beauty. 
From  the  window  opposite  the  entrance-door  one 
gets  a  glimpse  of  the  steep  wooded  hills  to  right 
and  left.  The  rocky  bed  of  the  river  is  sixty  feet 
below  the  window,  and  the  water  rushes  along 
quarrelling  with  the  stones.  Not  a  square  foot  of 
the  ground  of  the  precipitous  hill  opposite  is  visi- 
ble. A  dense  garment  of  many  shades  of  green 
covers  it  from  water's  edge  to  summit.  Even  on 
a  wet  and  dreary  day  like  this  the  scene  is  a  dream 
of  loveliness,  and  perhaps  the  faint  haze  of  the 
fine  drizzle  as  it  tones  down  the  whole,  and  the 
clouds  that  cover  some  of  the  hills,  add  to  the 
dreaminess  and  sense  of  unreality  of  the  whole. 

Yet  behind  us,  as  we  turn,  is  moral  ruin  in- 
deed. "Every  prospect  pleases,  and  only  man 
is  vile."  This  poor  bundle  of  rags  declines  to 
take  any  notice  of  us.  He  keeps  on  stirring  the 
vile  and  mischievous  drug  that  has  brought  ruin 
upon  himself  and  his  house.  One  cannot  help 
speculating  about  him.  Did  he  have  wife  and 
family  here  ?  Could  he  employ  ten  servants  to 
help  him   in  this  business?     What  was  he  like 


OVER  THE   HILLS  OF   FUH-KIEN.  203 

when  he  was  a  man  and  not  a  wretched  heap  of 
rags,  full  of  energy  and  intelligence,  and  not  an 
opium-smoker  ? 

You  don't  know  how  this  horrible  vice  meets 
us  da}^  by  day,  how  it  points  the  sarcasms  and 
insults  levelled  at  the  foreigner,  and  how  it  dis- 
honors the  name  of  Christ  in  disgracing  the  Chris- 
tianity we  profess  as  our  national  faith. 

Some  well-known  authorities  have  declared 
that  in  this  province  half  of  the  male  adults,  that 
is,  ten  per  cent,  of  the  population,  are  opium- 
smokers.  I  believe  this  to  be  a  very  moderate 
estimate;  for  though  some  districts  are  almost  free 
from  the  vice,  others  are  being  ruined  by  it.  This 
province  did  not  produce  opium  in  appreciable 
quantities  until  about  the  year  1870,  but  now  the 
home  growth  seems  likely  to  be  fostered  every- 
where. 

Naturally  one  does  not  get  many  opportunities 
of  witnessing  opium-smoking  in  private  houses, 
but  it  is  very  common  in  the  inns,  and  a  great 
nuisance  too,  for  the  smell  of  the  fumes  is  very 
vile  and  sickening.  I  was  in  a  large  inn  a  few 
weeks  ago,  much  like  a  caravanserai.  The  build- 
ing was  very  long,  and  the  sleeping-cabins  opened 
out  of  the  main  hall  down  both  sides.  I  had 
occasion  to  go  up  and  down  this  room  or  corri- 
dor a  number  of  times,  and  observed  elegantly- 


204     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

dressed  men  in  almost  every  chamber  smoking 
opium.  In  some  of  the  rooms  there  were  two  or 
three  men  lying  on  the  beds  side  by  side  smoking. 
The  preachers  tell  me  that  in  private  houses  it  is 
now  so  far  a  recognized  thing  that  the  opium-pipe 
is  oifered  to  a  guest  as  much  as  a  cup  of  tea  used 
to  be. 

Yet  everybody  knows  what  a  destructive  and 
immoral  thing  the  use  of  opium  is.  The  defend- 
ers of  the  opium  trade  (who,  by  the  way,  are 
almost  all  haters  of  Christian  missions  and  mis- 
sionaries) declare  that  our  protest  is  an  unjustifia- 
ble "fad."  I  am  not  careful  to  answer  them. 
I  care  only  to  tell  you  just  what  my  eyes  have 
seen  and  my  ears  have  heard  from  the  people 
themselves.  It  goes  without  saying  that  all  mis- 
sionaries and  medical  men  in  China  hold  our 
views.  But  you  have  to  remember  also  that  the 
native  magistrates  go  through  the  form  of  issuing 
proclamations  against  it,  that  the  heathen  them- 
selves are  forming  leagues  for  opposing  the  habit 
and  the  trade,  that  benevolent  societies  of  Confu- 
cianists  and  Buddhists  issue  and  distribute  a  great 
deal  of  literature  in  condemnation  of  opium,  and 
that  its  use  is  always  included  in  the  list  of  vices, 
being  mentioned  in  company  with  adultery,  theft, 
and  murder. 

No  Chinaman  is  ever  heard  to  justify  the  habit, 


OVER  THE    HILLS   OF  FUH-KIEN.  20/ 

unless  he  is  some  dissolute  fellow  connected  with 
the  trade.  Nine  out  of  every  ten  persons  addict- 
ed to  the  pipe  will  tell  you  that  they  do  wickedly 
in  using  the  "foreign  dirt,"  as  they  call  it.  So 
far  from  its  being  defended  by  our  friends  here  in 
Fuh-kien,  they  have  many  sayings  and  phrases 
which  will  become  proverbs  and  household  words, 
expressing  their  sense  of  the  enormity  of  the  evil 
into  which  they  have  fallen  as  into  a  snare. 

Nobody,  native  or  foreign,  will  have  confi- 
dence in  a  man  who  is  known  to  be  seriously  ad- 
dicted to  its  use.  An  opium-smoker  would  find 
it  hard  to  get  employment  as  a  servant,  a  clerk, 
or  a  shopman.  Even  when  engaging  chair-bear- 
ers one  is  obliged  to  look  at  them — and  shall  I 
say  smell  them  ? — to  ascertain  whether  they  shek- 
in  (eat  smoke).  Many  men  have  come  upon  the 
roads  as  bearers  of  burdens  and  chairs  simply 
through  the  ruin  brought  on  them  by  the  opium 
habit.  To  hire  bearers  and  then  to  find  them 
smokers  is  a  great  inconvenience,  because  they 
need  so  much  rest  in  order  to  smoke,  and  indeed 
cannot  do  their  work  at  all  unless  they  have  their 
narcotic  at  regular  intervals.  The  laborer  who 
smokes  regularly  must  break  off  work  to  take  his 
pipe,  or  no  more  work  will  be  done.  An  opium- 
smoking  teacher  soon  reveals  his  weakness  by 
gaping  and  yawning  and  falling  asleep  over  his 


208     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

book.  He  must  have  his  pipe  to  revive  him.  In 
our  neighborhood  so  many  "literary"  men  are 
given  to  the  use  of  the  drug  that  it  is  difficult  to 
find  one  who  is  free  from  this  terrible  bondage. 

Of  course  no  Protestant  Christians  are  opium- 
smokers.  They  would  never  be  received  into  the 
Christian  church  unless  they  had  given  up  all 
connection  both  with  its  use  and  sale.  It  is  one 
of  the  things  the  Chinese  Christians  complain 
of— not  because  the  principle  is  wrong,  but  be- 
cause there  are  English  merchants  engaged  in  the 
traffic  who  attend  the  services  at  English  churches 
and  are  not  refused  the  Lord's  Supper.  Mission- 
aries have  no  option  but  to  decline  to  receive  na- 
tives into  the  church  until  they  have  given  up 
every  form  of  complicity  with  this  miserable  vice. 
Any  other  course  would  be  destructive  of  order 
and  morality  in  the  church.  A  Christian  who 
becomes  a  smoker  is  at  once  disciplined,  and  must 
give  up  the  pipe  or  give  up  his  membership.  Not 
only  the  conscience  of  the  church,  but  the  con- 
science of  the  nation,  declares  the  thing  to  be  un- 
justifiable, mischievous,  and  immoral. 

Dr.  Osgood,  of  Foochow,  who  has  come  so  far 
on  our  journey  with  us,  has  a  special  department 
in  his  hospital  for  opium  patients.  I  wish  that 
every  person  who  imagines  opium  to  be  a  harm- 
less luxury  could  go  in  there  for  an  hour  or  so, 


OVER  THE   HILLS   OF  FUH-KIEN.  209 

and  hear  from  the  lips  of  patients  and  doctor  by 
what  frightful  agonies  of  body  and  mind  these 
poor  victims  of  the  pipe  are  brought  back  to 
health,  happiness,  and  freedom.  Having  looked 
on  this  scene  in  the  hospital,  I  would  then  lead 
our  enchanted  friends  to  further  disenchantment 
by  conducting  them  to  the  nearest  opium  den, 
and  show  them  the  black  and  unwholesome  infer- 
no which  is  a  sample  of  the  dens  in  which  many 
hundreds  of  thousands  daily  narcotize  themselves 
and  waste  their  substance.  Perhaps  the  two 
visions  might  convince  them  that  we  missionaries 
are  right  after  all.  No  pictorial  description  can 
represent  the  real  horror  of  it  in  too  vivid  colors. 
The  thing  itself  is  always  worse  than  our  words 
make  it.  Happiness  destroyed,  families  scattered, 
homes  ruined,  health  utterly  and  hopelessly  gone, 
moral  deterioration,  lost  reputation,  and  the  death 
and  burial  of  a  beggar,  is  in  a  vast  proportion  of 
cases  the  regular  order  of  results.  The  physical 
effects  do  not  tell  so  disastrously  upon  the  rich 
man  as  upon  the  poor.  Better  living  in  every 
respect  helps  the  rich  to  escape  many  of  its  evils, 
but  the  poor  man  drains  his  slender  pouch  of  cash 
for  opium  and  then  has  little  or  nothing  left  to 
pay  for  his  rice.  The  poor  man  consequently 
suffers  much  more  than  the  rich. 

Do  you  wonder  that  this  opium  business  lies 


2IO     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

right  athwart  the  path  of  the  missionary  ?  It  is 
the  gravest  difficulty  he  has  to  contend  with  next 
to  the  ' '  fleshly  heart ' '  of  the  ' '  natural  man. ' '  If 
England  were  to  wash  her  hands  of  this  thing  (I 
will  not  say  make  some  atonement  for  her  crime  !) 
and  say,  "Henceforth  the  British  Government  in 
India  will  have  nothing  whatever  to  do  with 
this  opium  trade,  and  seeing  that  China  is  pro- 
ducing more  than  enough  to  supply  the  medici- 
nal demand  for  the  drug,  no  English  subject  shall 
be  allowed  to  import  any  opium  into  China,"  it 
would  be  the  best  day  for  China,  ay,  and  the 
best  day  for  the  English  conscience,  morals,  in- 
fluence, and  commerce,  that  we  have  seen  for 
many  years.  It  will  be  a  blessed  day  for  the 
England  that  we  love  when  she  can  accept  the 
principle  she  likes  to  talk  about,  but  refuses  to 
adopt,  that  "nothing  can  be  politically  wise  and 
safe  that  is  not  morally  right."  In  other  words, 
as  our  anti-opium  friends  quote  from  the  Prov- 
erbs that  "righteousness  exalteth  a  nation,  but 
sin  is  a  reproach  to  any  people." 

Kwai-tswa  ("The  High  Path"),  Tuesday,  November  7. 

Two  more  days  of  climbing  hills  and  of  de- 
scending apparently  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth 
have  brought  us  to  the  highest  part  of  our  jour- 
ney. The  weather  has  been  fine,  and  we  have  got 
along  happily.      In  the  evening  we  reached  the 


OVER  THE   HILLS   OF   FUH-KIEN.  211 

first  village  we  had  seen  during  the  day,  though 
there  are  a  few  cottages  of  farmers  and  charcoal- 
burners  here  and  there.  It  is  called  "Water's 
Mouth,"  and  the  inn,  "The  Fountain  of  Abun- 
dance." That  it  is  not  an  extensive  place  may 
be  judged  from  the  fact  that  the  main  street  is 
only  twenty-four  paces  long.  I  counted  just  forty 
houses.  The  inn  was  little  better  than  a  roomy 
coal-cellar.  My  chamber  (for  I  had  one  to  my- 
self) was  formed  by  digging  out  the  earth  from 
the  hillside  to  make  one  wall  and  a  boardin<j  of 
wood  for  the  other  three  sides.  Rice  was  grow- 
ing in  the  floor  to  a  height  of  eighteen  inches 
just  against  my  head.  We  are  far  up  in  the  hills 
and  the  nights  are  very  cold. 

We  have  settled  one  important  question  that 
led  us  on  this  journey.  We  had  resolved  that,  if 
possible,  we  would  decide  the  limits  of  the  Amoy 
language  in  a  direction  due  north  of  Amoy.  We 
discovered  that  the  frontier  line  between  the  lan- 
guages of  Foochow  and  Amoy  is  a  high  range  of 
hills  which  we  crossed  yesterday  about  mid-day. 
On  the  north  side  we  were  in  a  strange  land,  on 
the  south  we  were  quite  at  home  with  the  people. 
This  carries  the  limits  of  our  evangelistic  efforts 
in  one  language  to  a  point  two  days'  journey 
farther  north  than  we  were  aware,  and  expands 
what  is  known  as  the  x\moy  district  to  that  degree. 


212     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

In  the  hoar-frost  of  this  morning  we  left  ' '  Wa- 
ter's Mouth,"  climbed  the  highest  hill  on  our 
trip,  and  reached  the  "The  High  Path"  at  two 
p.  M.  We  have  gone  no  farther  because  there  is 
not  another  inn  for  a  good  many  miles,  and  the 
bearers  are  worn  out  with  climbing,  though  my 
friend  and  I  walk  almost  all  day. 

The  natives  of  this  village  say  they  have  seen 
three  foreigners  before,  but  that  we  are  the  first 
who  ever  spoke  to  them  in  their  own  language. 
We  spent  the  afternoon  in  trying  to  interest  little 
groups  of  persons  in  our  message,  but  it  seems 
utterly  incomprehensible  to  them.  Dwellers  in 
England  do  not  realize  how  utterly  outside  a 
heathen's  imagination  the  gospel  message  is. 
You  need  to  have  the  missionary's  experience, 
and  to  see  how  hard  and  unmeaning  the  heathen's 
face  becomes  when  you  explain  that  it  is  his 
moral  nature  and  his  soul  you  are  trying  to  bene- 
fit. He  is  too  polite  to  laugh  at  you,  but  he 
thinks  you  a  little  worse  than  crazy  when  he 
hears  the  gospel  for  the  first  time.  It  recalls 
Jean  Ingelow's  lines  in  "A  Story  of  Doom,"  where 
she  speaks  of  the  contempt  in  Noah's  day  heaped 
upon 

"  Those  who  work  for  a  world  (no  wages  paid 
By  a  Master  hid  in  light),  and  sent  alone 
To  face  a  laughing  nniltitude  whose  ej'es 
Are  full  of  damaging  pity  tliat  forbears 
To  tell  the  harmless  laborer,  '  Thou  art  mad!'" 


OVER  THE   HILLS   OF  FUH-KIEN.  213 

That  is  the  way  in  which  the  message  from 
God  is  still  received.  "  The  natural  man  receiv- 
eth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  for  they 
are  foolishness  unto  him:  neither  can  he  know 
them,  because  they  are  spiritually  discerned." 

Tek-wha  ("  Upright  and  Influential  "),  November  8. 

The  den  called  "The  Nourishment  of  Life"  at 
Kwai-tswa  did  not  present  sufficient  attractions  to 
induce  us  to  stay  much  after  dawn.  There  was 
hoar-frost  on  the  ground.  Over  hill  and  dale 
brought  us  in  the  afternoon  to  this  city  with  its 
self-laudatory  name. 

It  is  the  most  extensive  manufactory  of  china 
in  the  Fuh-kien  province.  The  valley  is  broad 
and  dotted  over  a  considerable  area  with  very 
pretty  houses,  in  many  cases  resembling  Swiss 
chalets.  The  buildings  seem  large  because  there 
are  four  houses  to  the  block.  Pottery,  pottery 
everywhere,  in  the  fields,  in  the  streets,  in  the 
shops.  In  the  open  air  children  are  painting  the 
cups.  Each  artist  paints  with  his  own  color  or 
his  own  few  strokes,  whether  a  leaf,  a  tree,  a 
man's  dress  or  beard,  and  passes  it  over  to  his 
neighbor,  who  in  turn  applies  his  brush  to  paint 
what  is  his  share  in  the  decoration. 

The  Episcopal  Methodists  of  America  and  the 
Established  Church  of  England  both  have  chapels 
here.     First  we  visited  the  Methodists,  then  went 


214     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

to  the  "  Ang-li-kau  "  church.  The  latter  was  so 
much  roomier  that  we  asked  leave  to  stay  over 
nio-ht.  The  people  were  much  iuterested  in  our 
arrival  and  came  in  large  numbers  to  hear  us 
speak  in  their  own  language.  I  have  seldom  re- 
ceived a  more  courteous  and  cordial  welcome 
than  from  these  artists  in  earthenware  at  Tek- 
wha. 

Eng-chhun  ("  Everlasting  Spring  "),  November  9. 

The  words  "There  everlasting  spring  abides" 
were  not  written  of  this  city  by  Dr.  Watts.  The 
room  in  which  I  am  to  sleep  has  no  window. 
Everything  is  perfectly  black — floor,  roof,  walls, 
bed-boards,  mosquito-net,  table,  chair — while  the 
next  room  is  a  fold  for  goats,  thick  with  odor,  and 
the  spaces  between  the  boards  of  the  thin  parti- 
tion that  separates  me  from  my  four-footed  fellow- 
lodgers  allow  the  sounds  and  scents  to  pass  freely 
from  them  to  me. 

We  were  coming  down  hill  a  great  part  of  the 
afternoon  and  find  the  temperature  much  milder 
in  "Everlasting  Spring." 

"  Market-on-top-of-the-Embankment,"  November  11. 

At  Eng-chhun  we  dismissed  the  chair-bearers, 
who  have  been  with  us  these  last  eight  days.  We 
engaged  them  in  Foochow  on  an  agreement  duly 
attested  by  some  civic  potentate,  and  they  have 
wandered  over  hill  and  dale  with  us,  carrying  us 


OVER  THE   HILLS   OF   FUH-KIEN.  215 

when  we  chose  to  ride.  Now  they  have  to  return 
with  the  empty  chairs;  but  they  intend  to  travel 
via  Hing-wha  upon  the  frequented  road  by  which 
we  ourselves  went  to  Foochow.  They  have  not 
been  of  much  service,  and  have  grumbled  a 
good  deal  at  the  long  stages  between  the  rice- 
shops. 

That  reminds  me  of  the  difficulty  one  has  in 
travelling  inland  to  find  out  from  the  natives  of  a 
place  what  is  the  approximate  distance  to  the 
next  stage.  The  information  supplied  may  be 
correct  once  in  ten  times.  The  mistakes  made 
by  our  informants  have  been  a  constant  jest  with 
the  chair-bearers  and  all  of  us.  Two  incidents  in 
yesterday's  journey  may  be  taken  as  samples  of 
all.  I  asked  an  intelligent-looking  man  whom 
we  met  on  the  road  whether  there  were  any  hills 
to  cross  up  to  the  place  from  which  he  surely  must 
have  come.  He  replied,  "No,  none  at  all;  alto- 
gether level."  It  proved  to  be  as  hard  and  weari- 
some a  bit  of  climbing  up  and  down  as  we  have 
had  on  the  trip.  The  last  hill  must  have  been  a 
descent  of  upwards  of  2,500  feet,  for  we  were  com- 
ing down  the  greater  part  of  the  day;  and  much 
of  the  road  was  merely  a  watercourse,  stones  lying 
in  all  directions  as  they  had  been  hurled  by  the 
freshets  of  ages.  Again,  yesterday  morning  we 
asked  how  far  it  was  to  a  certain  place.      ' '  A 


2l6     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

pau^^''*  was  the  reply.  Now,  we  do  a  pan  in  an 
hour;  but  we  plodded  on  for  two  hours  and  a 
quarter  and  then  again  asked  the  distance.  "A 
pau  and  a  half,"  this  time,  It  is  almost  always 
so.  The  Chinese  have  no  exact  notions  as  to 
either  time  or  space;  it  is  only  in  money  values 
that  they  incline  to  absolute  mathematical  accu- 
racy. "■  A.  pau  and  a  half"  has  passed  with  us 
into  a  proverb  and  a  jest. 

We  left  "  Eternal  Spring"  yesterday  morning 
at  an  early  hour,  did  the  rough  travelling  spoken 
of  above,  and  reached  the  village  of  "River's 
Mouth"  at  a  quarter  past  six  in  the  evening. 
After  ten  A.  m.  there  was  not  a  rice-shop  the 
whole  way.  You  may  imagine  in  what  a  state 
of  exhaustion  from  fatigue  and  hunger  we  arrived 
at  our  lodging  for  the  night. 

This  morning  we  took  passage  in  a  boat  and 
had  two  hours'  run  down  the  rapids.  This  is  a 
mode  of  travelling  which  is  always  sufficiently 
exciting  in  itself;  but  to-day's  trip  had  the  fur- 
ther spice  of  danger  arising  from  the  overcrowded 
state  of  the  broad,  flat-bottomed  boat.  To  earn 
an  extra  cash  or  two  a  boatman  would  not  hesi- 
tate to  trust  twenty  lives  to  the  special  care  of 

*  A  pau  is  commonly  translated  in  English  a  league.  There 
are  ten  It  (the  Chinese  unit  of  distance)  to  the  pau,  the  li  being 
one-third  of  a  mile. 


OVER   THE   HILLS   OF   FUH-KIEN.  21/ 

what  may,  in  his  mind,  correspond  with  provi- 
dence. "There  is  an  appointed  fate  for  all," 
would  be  his  pious  and  philosophical  remark  as 
he  saw  the  water  reach  to  within  four  inches  of 
the  top  of  the  gunwale.  We  were  twenty-seven 
persons  in  all,  and  the  remainder  of  the  boat's 
freight  was  half  a  ton  of  crocker}^,  three  sedan- 
chairs,  our  baggage,  and  a  considerable  quantity 
of  lug-oragre  belono;inqf  to  the  Chinese.  At  the 
first  waterslide  we  grated  ominously  on  the  rocks. 
At  the  second  we  came  to  a  sudden  standstill. 
Fortunately  this  was  a  very  small  incline,  or  other- 
wise we  should  have  been  spilled  upon  the  rush- 
ing water,  to  find  our  way  to  the  bank  or  to  the 
bottom,  as  the  "appointed  fate"  of  each  would 
have  it.  By  the  aid  of  a  small  boat  eight  men, 
say  fifteen  hundred- weight  of  the  ship's  burden, 
were  put  ashore  before  we  slipped  off  the  rock. 
We  were  about  five  miles  from  our  river-journey's 
end  at  the  time  this  accident  occurred,  but  the 
fortunate  and  facetious  occupants  of  the  boat 
mirthfully  declined  the  importunate  entreaties  of 
the  dislodged  fares,  who  wanted  to  be  taken  on 
board  again  when  we  got  afloat.  A  running  fire 
of  jests,  threats,  and  blasphemy  was  kept  up  be- 
tween the  Chinese  passengers  on  the  river  and  the 
would-be  passengers  as  they  ran  for  a  mile  or  so 
on  the  paddy  fields  and  towing-path. 


2l8     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

We  have  at  last  touched  the  Amoy  missionary 
area  once  more,  after  twenty-five  days  of  absence, 
during  which  we  have  seen  many  strange  sights, 
had  much  pleasant  intercourse  with  fellow-Chris- 
tians, Chinese  and  foreign,  conversed  with  great 
numbers  of  people  about  the  Christian  faith, 
made  notes  of  the  methods  of  oiir  Foochow 
brethren  belonging  to  three  missionary  socie- 
ties, and  decided  the  limits  of  the  Amoy  lan- 
guage to  the  northeast  and  north.  On  the  third 
day  from  now  we  shall  reach  home,  all  being 
well. 

Sunday  night,  November  12. 

This  chapel  at  Pwa-tau-chhi  is  a  preaching 
station  only  of  the  American  Reformed  Church. 
No  members  have  yet  been  gathered  in.  We 
have  had  crowded  audiences  three  times  to-day. 
Our  plan  has  been  to  deliver  brief  and  pointed  ad- 
dresses, relieved  by  the  singing  of  a  verse  or  two 
of  a  hymn.  No  prayer  in  the  presence  of  such  a 
heathen  audience,  because  the  mystery  of  prayer 
alarms  the  timid  and  superstitious,  and  the  con- 
gregation is  apt  to  disperse  more  rapidly  than  it 
can  be  collected.  Many  persons  seemed  to  be 
much  interested  in  a  genial  and  brotherly  fashion, 
not  at  all  in  a  state  of  concern  for  their  salvation. 
Some  stopped  behind  for  a  chat,  and  this  evening 
others  have  been  learning  the  hymns  by  heart. 


OVER  THE   HILLS  OF  FUH-KIEN.  219 

At  such  a  time  we  teach  them  those  hymns  that 
are  really  summaries  of  Christian  doctrine  rather 
than  those  that  exj^ress  the  hopes  of  the  regen- 
erate. In  this  way  our  hymnology  is  a  very 
great  help  in  conveying  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth. 


220     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

FENG-SIIUI  :   THE   BIGGEST   OF   ALL   BUGBEARS. 

So  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  discover,  only 
one  short  treatise  and  one  magazine  article  have 
ever  been  written  in  the  English  language  on  this 
most  widespread  and  perhaps  most  enthralling  of 
all  the  varied  superstitions  that  afflict  the  human 
race  and  hinder  the  progress  of  the  Chinese  nation 
in  particular.  We  may  be  pardoned  therefore  for 
presuming  that  our  readers  know  very  little  about 
the  subject,  and  shall  deal  with  it  in  its  popular 
and  general  aspects  and  results,  and  say  only  a 
few  words  about  its  philosophy. 

For  the  doctrine  from  which  it  grows  is  ex- 
ceedingly abstruse,  like  all  forms  of  Chinese  phi- 
losophy. There  is  a  very  considerable  native  lit- 
erature to  explain  its  principles  and  to  guide  its 
professors;  but  if  any  one  wishes  to  see  to  what  a 
howling  wilderness  of  erratic  dogmatism  the  hu- 
man mind  can  arrive,  when  speculation  usurps 
the  place  of  science  and  theories  are  reverenced 
equally  with  facts,  let  him  endeavor  to  fathom 
even  the  elementary  principles  of  that  abyss  of 
insane  vagaries,  the  science  of  Feng-Shui.     Dr. 


THE   BUGBEAR   FENG-SHUI.  221 

Eitel,  ill  his  pamphlet  on  the  subject,  calls  Feng- 
Shui  "  the  terrestrial  sister  of  astrology."  There 
is  little  doubt  that  it  is  a  fungous  growth  upon 
more  intelligent  systems  of  suj^erstition,  such  as 
astrology  and  necromancy,  and  has  grown  until 
it  has  overshadowed  those  pseudo- sciences  from 
which  it  sjDrang.  It  is  difficult  to  discuss  and  at- 
tack its  dogmas  seriatim^  because  so  few  of  them 
are  formally  stated  and  so  few  "  Feng-Shui  doc- 
tors" have  clearly-defined  views  on  the  subject. 
We  can  only  wait  until  Christian  truths  and  the 
gospel  of  a  sound  philosophy  shall  lay  the  axe  at 
the  foot  of  this  deeply-rooted  tree  of  superstition 
and  level  it  with  all  its  branches  of  folly  and  fear. 

The  words  Feng  and  SJmi  mean  wind  and  wa- 
ter. "Wind"  stands  for  that  which  cannot  be 
seen,  "water"  for  that  which  cannot  be  grasped. 
Feng-Shui,  therefore,  indicates  a  philosophy 
which  the  human  mind  finds  it  very  difficult  to 
comprehend,  but  is  believed  by  the  Chinese  to  be 
no  less  real  on  that  account;  and  the  duplicate 
word  represents,  as  we  shall  presently  see,  the 
aggregate  of  the  intangible,  occult,  ill-defined, 
but  all-powerful  spirit  influences  that  affect  the 
fortunes  and  destinies  of  mankind. 

Feng-Shui  is  always  spoken  of  in  connection 
with  graves  or  funeral  ceremonies.  A  man  speaks 
of  tlie  graves  of  his  relatives  or  ancestors  as  their 


222     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

Feng-Shiii.  A  grave  in  a  good  position,  or  a  piece 
of  land  highly  suitable  for  a  grave  or  cemetery,  is 
called  "good  Feng-Shui."  To  interfere  with  a 
grave  is  to  "disturb  the  Feng-Shui." 

And  this  for  the  following  reasons.  The  the- 
ory involves  a  belief  that  the  world  is  crowded 
with  malignant  powers  and  influences  which  must 
be  regulated  and  controlled  in  order  that  human 
beings  may  live  in  peace.  These  pernicious  in- 
fluences arise  from  the  irritation  of  the  spirits  of 
the  dead  at  the  discomfort  in  which  they  find 
themselves  if  the  bodies  of  the  deceased  have  not 
been  placed  in  a  suitable  position,  and  their  equa- 
nimity can  only  be  restored  and  maintained  and 
their  good -will  secured  by  attention  to  certain 
necessary  arrangements  of  the  grave  in  which 
their  mortal  remains  are  deposited.  The  Chinese 
have  so  poor  an  opinion  of  the  character  of  the 
ghosts  of  their  fathers  as  to  believe  they  will  be 
visited  by  them  with  distresses  innumerable  for 
sins  of  neglect  of  the  dead.  The  unquiet  spirit 
of  the  king  of  Denmark  burst  his  cerements  and 
"revisited  the  glimpses  of  the  moon,  making 
night  hideous,"  because  of  violence  done  to  him 
as  a  living  man.  The  perturbed  spirits  of  the 
Chinese  dead,  on  the  other  hand,  break  the  sep- 
ulchre in  which  they  were  "quietly  inurned" 
because  the  position  of  their  "canonized  bones" 


The  bugbear  feng-shui.  223 

is  not  favorable  to  repose.  Should  a  disembod- 
ied spirit  find  himself  cut  off  from  light  and  air, 
"cribbed,  cabined,  and  confined"  in  a  locality 
which  renders  him  ill  at  ease,  it  is  supposed  he 
will  not  scruple  to  take  vengeance  on  his  poster- 
ity for  their  inattention  by  destroying  their  for- 
tunes and  happiness.  Nay,  so  little  conscience 
have  these  shadows  of  their  former  selves  that 
they  will  destroy  the  moral  character  as  well  as 
the  good  success  of  their  descendants.  Morality 
as  well  as  worldly  prosperity  is  mysteriously  af- 
fected by  the  tenants  of  the  grave. 

To  insure  one's  self  against  misfortune,  then, 
the  graves  of  relatives  and  ancestors  must  be  so 
placed  that  their  occupants  shall  not  only  be  per- 
fectly satisfied,  but  overflowing  with  good -will 
towards  their  friends  still  in  the  flesh.  To  find 
this  happy  position  is  the  occult,  and  sometimes 
(when  the  practitioner  has  gained  a  reputation  for 
skill)  lucrative,  profession  of  the  doctor  of  Feng- 
Shui.  Every  site  for  a  grave  is  chosen  by  its 
rules.  The  standard  regulation  is  that  the  grrave 
must  be  upon  a  hillside  facing  the  south,  and  that 
there  be  a  sheet  of  water  or  a  plain  between  it  and 
the  horizon.  But  this  rule  is  so  much  affected  by 
other  circumstances  that  the  exceptions  are  num- 
berless. None  but  the  profound  student  who  has 
the  key  to  all  the  ugly  tricks  dame  nature  plays 


224     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

on  suflfering  liumaiiity  can  see  the  way  perfectly 
to  baffle  her  and  win  prosperity  and  ease  by  the 
fortunate  arrangement  of  a  tomb. 

In  deciding  that  a  southerly  aspect  is  the  most 
favorable  for  this  purpose,  the  Chinese  mind  seems 
to  have  been  influenced  by  observation  of  certain 
facts  in  the  natural  world.  The  gentle  zephyrs  of 
the  spring  blow  softly  from  the  south,  bestowing 
life  and  beauty  on  the  fields  and  fruit-trees ;  and 
from  the  same  direction  come  the  health-giving 
breezes  of  summer,  subduing  the  scorching  heat 
of  the  sun  and  carrying  on  their  wings  the  fre- 
quent rain -clouds  which  distil  their  fertilizing 
showers  on  the  thirsty  soil.  But  the  cutting 
winds  of  autumn,  the  harbingers  of  decay  and 
death  in  the  fields  and  the  source  of  much  suffer- 
ing and  sickness  to  the  scantily-clad  and  poorly- 
housed  denizens  of  the  Flowery  Land,  who  know 
nothing  of  the  comforts  of  a  social  fire-hearth  and 
well-fitting  windows — these  wintry  blasts  blow 
keenly  from  the  north.  Moreover,  pestilence 
does  not  stalk  through  the  crowded  towns  and 
villages  if  the  south  wind  fans  them  steadily  in 
summer ;  but  if  at  that  season  the  wind  blows 
fiercely  from  the  north,  it  is  often  the  herald  of  a 
disastrous  typhoon,  which  scatters  ruin  and  death 
over  large  areas  of  the  land.  The  southerly  and 
northerly  directions  thus   become  symbolical  of 


THE   BUGBEAR   FENG-SIIUI.  225 

prosperous  and  adverse  influences,  and  from  this 
it  is  but  a  step  to  the  belief  that  in  the  spirit  world 
(which  to  the  Chinese  mind  is  the  analogue  of  the 
material  world)  there  exist  similar  currents — that 
from  the  north  bringing  every  species  of  ill-luck, 
and  that  from  the  south  prosperity. 

Fortunately  for  the  human  race  it  is  possible 
to  counteract  the  mischievous  effects  of  the  ma- 
lignant forces  of  nature  by  turning  aside  the  un- 
propitious  currents  and  by  attracting  and  direct- 
ing those  that  breathe  only  balm  and  peace.  As 
the  present  is  not  a  scientific  treatise  on  this  as- 
tounding delusion,  but  a  popular  view  of  it  as 
witnessed  every  day,  we  will  simply  say  that 
everything  in  a  landscape  sharp  and  abrupt  is 
believed  to  be  hurtful  in  its  tendencies.  Jagged 
lines,  broken  ridges,  all  those  features  that  we 
might  poetically  phrase  as  angry,  sullen,  frown- 
ing rocks  or  savage  scenery — these  clearly  threat- 
en disaster.  But  gently-undulating  hills,  smiling 
plateaus,  smoothly -flowing  streams,  and  mirror- 
like ponds — these  are  hostages  of  nature  as  to  her 
peaceful  intentions.  Again,  long  straight  lines 
are  greatly  dreaded,  especially  if  they  converge 
upon  a  grave,  lest  noxious  currents  should  gather 
force  by  the  directness  of  their  course  and  hurry 
forward  with  increased  momentum  to  the  work 
of  destruction.     The  making  of  roads  and  railway 


226     ALOXG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

lines,  therefore,  could  only  be  attended  with  fatal 
results  to  myriads.  To  be  prosj^erously  inclined, 
the  landscape  must  have  its  rough  points  rounded 
off  and  its  roads  gently  curved. 

Our  readers  are  familiar  with  the  pictures  of 
Chinese  pagodas,  but  probably  are  not  aware  that 
the  sole  object  of  most  of  them  and  the  sole  object 
of  every  pagoda  in  many  large  districts  in  China, 
is  to  nullify  the  destructive  forces  of  bad  Feng- 
Shui,  or  to  collect  and  concentrate  the  propitious 
streams  of  spirit  influence  on  some  particular 
town,  stream,  or  plain.  In  the  neighborhood  of 
Canton  the  greater  number  of  the  towers  that  dot 
the  landscape  are  narrow  monuments,  of  the  same 
diameter  from  the  top  of  the  wall  to  the  founda- 
tion, and  with  a  high,  pointed  roof.  These  are 
shaped  like  a  Chinese  camel' s-hair  brush,  and  are 
erected  to  the  memory  of  some  eminent  scholar. 
Such  pagodas  are  believed  capable  of  attracting 
portions  of  the  propitious  currents  in  such  a  way 
as  to  result  in  an  increase  of  intelligence  in  the 
population.  But  others  have  a  more  general  pur- 
pose. There  is  hardly  a  large  town  but  has  one  or 
more  lofty  pagodas  in  or  near  it  for  its  protection, 
and  this  is  called  that  particular  town's  Feng- 
Shui.  Thus  close  to  Amoy  there  is  an  island  at 
the  entrance  to  the  river  which  leads  to  the  great 
city  of  Changchow,  thirty  miles  distant,  on  which 


THE   BUGBEAR   FENG-SIIUI.  22/ 

is  a  stumpy  and  dilapidated  tower,  called  "the 
Changcliow  Feiig-Sliui."  It  is  supposed  that 
this  unsightly  pagoda  is  able  to  deflect  any  mis- 
chievous spirit  influences  which,  but  for  its  pres- 
ence, might  stream  up  the  river  and  overthrow 
the  reputation  and  commerce  of  Changcliow, 
The  hopes  of  the  inhabitants  depend  on  the  sta- 
bility of  that  tower  thirty  miles  off";  it  is  a  pity  it 
seems  likely  soon  to  crumble  to  dust.  Sometimes 
the  faith  of  the  people  is  placed  in  objects  even 
more  ungainly.  On  the  shore  of  the  island  of 
Kolongsoo  (the  residence  of  Europeans  at  Amoy) 
is  a  mass  of  rock  some  twenty-five  feet  high, 
called  one  of  the  "anchors"  of  Amoy.  The 
Amoyese  believe  that  when  that  rock  falls  the 
fortunes  of  the  city  will  fall  with  it,  and  as  its 
base  has  been  much  worn  by  the  action  of  the 
sea,  it  is' abundantly  propped  up  by  large  blocks 
of  stone  piled  at  its  foot. 

The  professors  of  Feng-Shui  are  always  the 
parties  to  decide  on  the  site  for  a  pagoda;  and 
similarly  they  will  sometimes  order  a  wall  to  be 
built  as  a  shield  or  screen  to  protect  a  house  or 
public  building  from  malign  influences.  Of 
course  such  a  wall  shuts  off"  also  those  currents 
that  are  only  beneficent;  but  the  owner  of  the 
house  must  take  his  chance  of  that.  In  front  of 
joss-houses   and   the   residences   of  mandarins   a 


228     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

screen  is  often  raised  in  this  way,  and  upon  it 
figure  quaint  diagrams,  ferocious-looking  beasts, 
and  some  written  characters  which  bid  defiance 
and  breathe  eternal  hostility  to  the  invisible  en- 
emy.    A  curious  instance  of  this  screen-making 
occurred  in  connection  with  one  of  the  London 
Mission  chapels  near  Amoy,  as  we  have  related 
more  at  length  in  another  part  of  this  book.     A 
mob  had  destroyed  the  building  before  it  was  fin- 
ished, on  the  pretext  that  it  would  disturb  their 
Feng-Shui.     Through  the  efforts  of  the  British 
Consul  the  mandarins  were  compelled  to  raise  the 
money  to  rebuild  the  chapel;  but  to  prevent  any 
harm  being  done  to  the  town  by  its  objectionable 
presence,  a  wall,  on  which  were  painted  dragons 
and  tigers,  was  put  up  opposite  the  chapel  door, 
and  so  the  Feng-Shui  of  the  town  was  preserved. 
It  will  be  readily  seen  that  as  Feng-Shui  has 
■  to  be  regulated,  so  it  can  be  most  unfortunately 
disturbed  and  bring  utter  ruin  to  multitudes  who 
have  placed  houses  or  graves  in  the  position  where 
the  best  harvest  of  good  luck  may  be  reaped.    The 
making  of  a  path  or  building  of  a  house  is  not, 
therefore,  a  matter  in  which  the  workman  or  his 
employer  alone  is  concerned.      Every  one  who 
lives  within  sight  of  it,  and  ever>^  spirit  whose 
bones  repose  in  a  grave  near  it,  is  intensely  in- 
terested in  the  questions  where  and  in  what  style 


THE   BUGBEAR   EENG-SIIUI.  229 

that  house  or  road  is  going  to  be  made.  It  will 
suggest  itself  at  once  to  the  reader  that  if  we 
ignorant  European  outsiders  were  to  live  where 
we  choose  in  China,  to  build  as  we  like,  to  make 
roads  and  railways,  to  erect  telegraph  posts,  to 
quarry  stone  wherever  we  saw  any  to  our  fancy,  to 
delve  recklessly  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth  for 
coal,  we  should,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Chinese,  be 
like  "a  maniac  scattering  dust"  and  "a  fury 
slinging  flame."  We  should  put  steeples  to  our 
churches  and  tall  chimneys  to  our  factories,  and 
in  so  doing  commit  the  unpardonable  crime  of 
upsetting  the  serenity  of  the  spirit- world.  No 
vengeance  would  be  too  dire  to  execute  upon  the 
rash  mortal  who  could  disregard  the  interests  of 
his  fellow-creatures  in  such  a  manner.  No  pas- 
time is  more  dangerous  than  that  of  making  inno- 
vations called  improvements,  and  the  collective 
wrath  of  multitudes  must  fall  on  the  man  who 
should  attempt  it. 

The  long  and  harassing  troubles  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church  Mission  in  Foochow  a  few  years 
ago  all  arose  from  the  fact  that  the  missionaries 
wished  to  build  an  extra  dwelling-house  on  a  hill 
in  the  town,  and  the  people  maintained  that  their 
Feng-Shui  would  be  destroyed.  The  city  was 
nearly  ruined  in  1876  by  a  series  of  catastrophes — 
a  typhoon,  two  floods  which  covered  the  town  to 


230     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

a  depth  of  six  feet,  in  one  of  which  the  ancient 
"  Bridge  of  Ten  Thousand  Ages"  was  partly  de- 
stroyed, and  a  conflagration  which  swept  away 
two  thousand  houses.  The  whole  of  these  mis- 
fortunes were  attributed  to  the  fact  that  the  mis- 
sionaries had  in  their  minds  tJie  intention  to  build 
the  Jiotise  !  The  opposition  to  the  line  of  telegraph 
from  Foochow  to  Amoy  was  placed  on  the  same 
ground,  that  the  Feng-Shui  of  the  whole  route 
would  be  deflected  and  thrown  into  confusion; 
and  the  Chinese  triumphed ;  the  posts  could  not  be 
put  up.  One  of  the  most  striking  illustrations  of 
this  kind  of  fear  which  we  have  ever  seen  is  in 
Amoy.  The  whole  neighborhood  is  a  wilderness 
of  granite  rocks.  Enormous  boulders  are  scat- 
tered in  every  direction  on  hill  and  plain.  The 
*' Valley  of  the  Ten  Thousand  Rocks"  at  the 
side  of  the  town  led  an  English  sea-captain  to 
say  that  "Amoy  must  have  been  the  last  place 
created,  and  all  the  surplus  stones  were  shot 
there."  Yet  the  natives  rarely  cut  these  rocks, 
of  which  it  would  be  a  kindness  to  relieve  the 
fields  and  hillsides,  but  go  by  sea  to  the  "Cut- 
stone  Village,"  three  miles  distant,  where  the 
Feng-Shui  doctors  have  declared  it  may  be  quar- 
ried with  impunity. 

Every  resident    in   China   has  heard  of  that 
short-lived    child    of   civilization,    the    Shanghai 


THE    BUGBEAR   FENG-SHUI.  231 

railway,  but  few  know  that  Feng-Shni,  professed- 
ly at  least,  had  much  to  do  with  its  being  throt- 
tled so  soon  after  its  birth.  In  "1875  an  American 
company  completed  the  purchase  of  land  for  con- 
structing a  line  of  railway,  nine  miles  in  length, 
from  Shanghai  to  the  small  town  of  Woosung, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river  on  which  Shanghai  is 
situated.  This  was  done  in  contravention  of 
treaty  engagements,  as  the  Chinese  pleaded,  with 
some  show  of  justice,  but  the  enterprising  capital- 
ists had  only  the  ultimate  advantage  of  China  in 
view.  It  was  believed  that  in  a  country  so  vast, 
where  communication  even  between  places  near 
together  is  difficult  and  is  only  kept  up  at  a  waste- 
ful expenditure  of  human  labor,,  the  formation  of 
a  short  line  of  railway  might  prove  to  be  a  means 
of  exciting  wealthy  native  merchants,  if  not  the 
ruling  classes  themselves,  to  endeavor  to  extend 
the  blessing  of  easy  and  rapid  travelling  through- 
out the  great  centres  of  population.  At  first  it 
was  proposed  to  present  the  whole  line  and  plant 
to  the  Chinese  Government  as  a  gift;  but  this  in- 
tention was  not  carried  out,  through  fear  that  too 
many  of  the  mandarins  were  hostile  to  its  exist- 
ence. It  was  thought  there  would  be  a  better 
chance  of  its  survival  if  the  Government  paid  for 
it  than  if  they  received  it  gratis.     Accordingly,  it 

was  sold  to  the  Chinese  at  a  moderate  price ;  but  no 

14 


232     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

sooner  did  they  got  the  line  into  their  own  hands 
than  it  was  destroyed,  and  the  engines  and  car- 
riages were  shipped  over  to  Formosa  (with  the 
professed  intention  of  trying  the  railway  scheme 
in  that  island),  where  they  long  lay  half  buried 
in  the  sands  of  the  seashore.  Almost  the  whole 
opposition  to  it  was  laid  at  the  door  of  Feng-Shui, 
though  there  is  plenty  of  evidence  that  other  mo- 
tives were  in  the  background. 

Occasionally  Feng-Shui  has  played  into  the 
hands  of  foreigners  to  their  profit.  We  have  not 
before  us  the  exact  statement  of  facts  with  regard 
to  the  following  story,  but  it  is  approximately 
correct.  Some  few  years  ago  a  German  Mission 
had  a  station  in  the  centre  of  Canton  province, 
and  a  wealthy  miller  had  built  himself  a  very  solid 
and  lofty  granary  in  the  same  place.  The  mis- 
sion church  prospered  but  little  for  want  of  space 
in  their  miserable  hut,  and  the  merchant's  busi- 
ness began  to  fail  directly  his  warehouse  was  com- 
pleted, because  its  Feng-Shui  was  bad.  The 
granary  was  offered  for  sale  at  a  ridiculously  low 
price,  since  no  one  would  be  so  rash  as  to  pay  a 
heavy  sum  for  a  building  in  so  unfortunate  a  po- 
sition, and  to  take  it  down  and  rebuild  it  would 
cost  more  than  it  was  worth.  But  the  missiona- 
ries purchased  it  at  once,  occupied  the  ground 
floor  for  a  chapel,  the  first  floor  as  schoolroom, 


THE   BUGBEAR   FENG-SHUI.  233 

tlie  second  floor  as  apartments  for  preacher  and 
chapel-keepers,  and  the  third  floor  was  reserved 
as  accommodation  for  missionaries  on  their  occa- 
sional visits.  It  is  needless  to  say  the  church  has 
prospered  greatly  since,  notwithstanding  the  bad 
Feng-Shui. 

This  superstition  has  developed  a  very  curious 
custom  in  China  of  disinterring  the  bones  of  the 
dead.  In  every  part  of  the  land,  but  especially  in 
the  Fuh-kien  province,  jars  about  twenty  inches 
deep  are  constantly  seen  grouped  under  the  shadow 
of  a  rock.  These  jars  contain  bones  which  have 
been  dug  up  from  the  grave  because  some  calam- 
ity has  befallen  the  family  of  the  deceased,  and  in 
this  way  proved  the  Feng-Shui  of  the  grave  to  be 
bad.  The  jars  and  their  contents  (disrespectfully 
called  by  foreigners  "potted  Chinaman,"  but  by 
themselves  "yellow  gold  ")  remain  above  ground 
often  for  a  long  course  of  years,  till  the  professor 
of  Feng-Shui  has  decided  on  an  unexceptionable 
site  for  reinterrinof  them.  In  the  neis^hborhood  of 
Shanghai,  Ningpo,  and  many  other  places,  the 
first  interment  of  a  dead  body  sometimes  does  not 
take  place  for  many  years  after  it  is  ready  for 
burial. 

The  body  is  placed  in  its  strong  coffin,  which 
then  reposes  under  a  shed  till  such  time  as  the 
verdict  shall  be  given  in  favor  of  a  grave  of  which 


234     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

.  beyond  a  doubt  the  Feng-Shui  will  prove  good. 
The  number  of  coffins  piled  in  heaps  in  the  open 
ground  in  many  parts  would  seem  fabulous  if  it 
were  known. 

It  is  an  interesting  though  sad  sight  to  see  the 
learned  geomancer  making  his  investigations. 
Walking  in  country  places,  especially  in  those 
parts  that  have  through  these  delusions  become 
in  the  course  of  time  vast  cemeteries,  one  may 
often  see  a  small  group  of  men  wandering  about — 
now  surveying  the  ground,  now  gazing  at  distant 
points  in  the  landscape,  now  intently  gathered 
round  some  little  spot  of  earth,  discussing  in  ear- 
nest tones  a  very  serious  problem.  Be  sure  there 
is  a  professor  of  Feng-Shui  in  their  midst.  In 
his  hand  he  carries  a  mysterious-looking  instru- 
ment, the  centre  of  which  is  a  small  compass,  and 
the  wide  outer  rjm,  painted  with  fifteen  circles, 
is  crowded  with  written  characters,  each  one  of 
which  is  the  symbol  of  the  various  theories  and 
principles  that  govern  the  doctrine  and  practice  of 
Feng-Shui.  It  is  difficult  to  gather  any  data  by 
which  to  judge  of  the  extent  to  which  these  men 
themselves  believe  in  their  miserable  delusions, 
or  whether  they  only  make  profit  out  of  the  fol- 
lies of  the  populace  who  are  so  anxious  to  be 
gulled,  and  it  is  equally  hard  to  form  any  opinion 
as  to  the  degree  in  which  they  act  upon  the  writ- 


THE   BUGBEAR   FENG-SIIUI.  235 

ten  theories  of  Feng-Shui  in  assisting  their  clients 
to  select  a  tomb.  One  thing  is  certain,  namely, 
that  they  find  it  much  easier  to  procure  repose  for 
the  dust  of  the  poor  than  of  the  rich.  The  latter 
are  often  kept  waiting  for  years,  while  abstruse 
calculations  are  made  and  heavy  fees  charged  for 
every  attempt  to  solve  the  weighty  and  mysteri- 
ous problem. 

Naturally  this  distressing  superstition  is  a  stock 
subject  with  Christian  preachers  in  speaking  to 
the  heathen.  Sometimes  the  question  is  argued 
on  scientific  grounds,  but  more  often  by  reference 
to  the  discrepancies  between  its  professions  and 
the  facts.  We  remember  on  one  occasion  hearing 
the  whole  subject  discussed  by  a  very  able  preach- 
er before  a  crowded  heathen  audience,  when  he 
related  this  story.  In  Amoy  there  was  a  Feng- 
Shui  doctor  who  gave  out  that  he  was  the  most 
learned  and  skilful  of  all  his  fraternity.  Hearing 
this  the  preacher  got  into  conversation  with  him, 
and  quietly  asked  him, 

"  Have  you  chosen  good  Feng-Shui  for  your- 
self?" 

"Oh,  yes,  the  very  best;  I  used  all  the  re- 
sources of  the  art  in  selecting  it." 

To  put  his  clever  acquaintance  off  his  guard 
the  preacher  diverted  the  conversation  a  little 
and  then  said, 


236     ALONG  RIVER  AND   ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

" Is  yours  a  lucrative  profession?" 
"Alas,  uo ;  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  live  by 
it." 

"You  do  not  look  strong;  is  it  because  of  ill 
health  that  you  are  so  poor  ?' ' 

' '  No,  it  is  not  that,  though  I  am  often  very 
weak  and  ill;  it  is  that  peojDle  will  not  pay  me." 
"Are  your  honored  parents  living  yet?" 
"  No,  they  left  the  world  many  years  ago." 
"  How  many  children  have  you?" 
"Alas,  I  have  buried  the  only  three  children 
I  have  ever  had." 

"Why,  herein  is  a  strange  affair,"  said  our 
friend  the  preacher.  "You  declare  that  you  are 
the  most  skilful  master  of  Feng-Shui,  that  you 
have  chosen  the  very  best  Feng-Shui  for  yourself, 
and  that  to  have  good  Feng-Shui  secures  all  man- 
ner of  good  fortune,  and  yet  you  cannot  get  a  suf- 
ficiency of  rice,  and  you  are  weak  in  body  and 
have  neither  parent  nor  child!" 

There  is  no  idea  in  the  cranium  of  a  Chinaman 
more  difficult  to  uproot  than  this  absolute  faith  of 
his  in  the  almightiness  of  Feng-Shui.  Argument 
apparently  fails  to  loosen  his  hold  in  the  least. 
He  cannot  grasp  the  elementary  principles  of  a 
sound  theory  of  natural  science,  for  his  prejudices 
are  infinitely  stronger  than  his  reason.  He  listens 
with  the  courtesy  that  is  part  of  his  very  nature; 


THE  BUGBEAR   FENG-SHUI.  237 

and,  "with  a  smile  that  is  childlike  and  bland," 
he  congratnlates  his  opponent  on  his  skill  in  ar- 
gument and  his  extensive  knowledge,  but  retains 
his  old  opinions  intact.  In  nothing  does  he  show 
himself  more  conservative.  And  even  when  grace 
has  reached  his  heart  and  he  joins  the  church  of 
Christ  he  too  often  clings  to  the  rags  of  tradition 
and  tries  to  amalgamate  and  reconcile  his  super- 
stition with  his  faith.  Among  many  instances  of 
this  one  in  particular  comes  to  mind.  An  elderly 
man  at  one  of  the  Fuh-kien  country  chapels  was 
said  to  be  a  firm  believer  in  Feng-Shui,  although 
he  had  made  a  profession  of  Christianity  for  some 
years.  I  asked  him  before  the  whole  congrega- 
tion whether  it  was  true  or  not,  and  he  replied, 
in  a  deep,  sepulchral  tone  of  awful  solemnity, 
which  raised  a  laugh  even  during  the  service, 
that  "there  must  be  a  great  deal  in  it ;  a  poor 
man  like  him  could  not  be  expected  to  fathom 
it;  it  was  mysterious  and  profound."  Their 
faith  in  Feng-Shui  is  generally  the  last  supersti- 
tion to  be  eradicated  from  the  converts  to  Chris- 
tianity. 

We  are  glad  to  hear  that  a  vigorous  effort  is 
just  now  being  made  by  some  of  the  most  enlight- 
ened of  the  prominent  men  in  China  to  introduce 
the  steam-engine  and  electric  telegraph  and  to 
open  up  its  valuable  coal-fields.     It  is  estimated 


238     ALONG  EJVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

that  there  is  just  twenty  times  as  much  coal  in 
China  as  in  the  whole  of  Europe.  Hitherto  they 
have  feared  to  procure  the  coal,  lest  they  should 
disturb  and  provoke  the  spirit  of  the  earth.  The 
spectacle  has  often  been  witnessed  of  children  by 
hundreds  grubbing  up  the  roots  of  grass  for  fuel, 
and  men  deforesting  the  land  and  turning  it  into 
a  barren  waste,  while  the  coal  comes  so  near 
the  surface  at  the  distance  of  a  few  miles  that 
the  farmer  meets  with  signs  of  it  as  he  drives  the 
plough.  But  they  fear  to  dig,  lest  they  should 
alter  the  conformation  of  the  soil  and  upset  the 
Feng-Shui;  while  even  if  they  dared  face  such 
a  peril,  Feng-Shui  has  already  made  the  trans- 
port of  the  coal  next  to  impossible  by  preventing 
the  people  from  constructing  roads  suitable  for 
carts. 

From  the  above  it  will  be  seen  how  much 
what  we  might  call  the  gospel  of  natural  science 
is  needed  in  China  to  assist  in  clearing  away  the 
tangled  undergrowth  that  hinders  the  feet  of  the 
messengers  of  the  truth.  It  must  be  cut  down  in 
time,  and  the  time  will  probably  not  be  long. 
China  cannot  hold  out  many  years  against  the 
wave  of  Western  thought  beating  now  upon  her 
shores;  and  when  another  railway  has  been  made 
and  telegraph  posts  have  proved  the  groundless- 
ness of  their  dismay  and  mining  operations  tempt 


THE   BUGBEAR   FENG-SHUI.  239 

the  Chinese  to  risk  rousing  the  wrath  of  the  en- 
emy, it  will  probably  be  found  that  this  overbear- 
ing tyrant  of  Feng-Shui,  which  at  present  has  a 
stronger  rule  over  the  people  than  idolatry,  will 
topple  to  his  fall  long  before  the  gods  are  flung  to 
the  moles  and  to  the  bats. 


240     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES. 

The  Chinese  are  worthy  of  their  renown  for 
reverence  for  scholars  and  learning.  Education 
has  during  several  millenniums  been  regarded  as 
necessary  to  the  culture  of  the  best  type  of  man- 
hood. The  words  of  Solomon,  "That  the  sonl 
be  without  knowledge  is  not  good,"  would  be 
heartily  echoed  by  half  the  population  of  that  vast 
empire.  The  desire  for  learning  has  been  trans- 
mitted from  generation  to  generation  through  all 
the  twenty-four  centuries  since  Confucius.  In 
the  sayings  of  the  sage  and  his  disciples  we  trace 
evidences  that  in  the  old  time  before  them  also 
the  people  of  China  held  knowledge  in  high  re- 
pute. When  our  forefathers  were  savages  in  the 
woods  of  Britain  the  Chinese  had  a  considerable 
literature  and  were  eminent  among  their  neigh- 
bors for  learning.  About  the  year  A.  D.  600  the 
practice  was  begun,  says  the  late  Dr.  S.  W.  Wil- 
liams, of  conferring  literary  degrees  upon  students 
and  of  admitting  ofhcials  to  civil  and  military 
rank  by  means  of  public  examinations.  It  is  true 
that  education  in  China  is  no  better  to-day  than 


SCHOOLS   AND   COLLEGES.  241 

ever  it  was,  that  the  subjects  of  study  have  not 
been  changed  nor  the  standard  advanced;  but  it 
is  equally  true,  as  Dr.  Williams  puts  it,  that  the 
degree  of  learning  in  China  in  the  pre-Christian 
centuries  "was,  so  far  as  we  know,  altogether 
superior  to  what  obtained  among  the  Jews,  Per- 
sians, and  Syrians  of  the  same  period."  It  is  no 
less  certain  that  the  sages  of  China,  such  as  pre- 
eminently Confucius  and  his  disciple  Mencius, 
have  obtained  a  sway  over  the  intellect  and  morals 
of  the  world  such  as  Socrates,  Plato,  Aristotle, 
and  all  the  philosophers  of  Greece  and  Rome  have 
never  reached.  It  may  be  that  the  stability  of 
the  empire  through  four  millenniums  (although 
it  is  a  country  that  has  frequently  been  rent  by 
revolution)  is  chiefly  due  to  the  national  and  so- 
cial sentiments  which  Confucius  crystallized  into 
speech. 

This  further  tribute  must  be  paid  to  Chinese 
learning,  viz.,  that  the  national  literature,  the 
books  held  in  the  highest  esteem,  are  all  written 
in  a  high  ethical  strain.  The  literature  which 
forms  the  groundwork  of  the  thought  and  life  of 
the  people  is  morally  unimpeachable.  It  has 
often  been  charged  against  our  own  classical 
models  that  they  are  unfit  to  be  placed  in  the 
hands  of  young  persons.  But  in  China  no  great 
classic  needs  to  be  expurgated.     The   books  in 


242     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

daily  use  in  schools  and  colleges  do  not  contain  a 
single  phrase  that  could  raise  a  blush  or  needs  to 
be  passed  over.  To  say  the  least,  this  is  very  re- 
markable. Their  neighbors  the  Hindoos  have  a 
sacred  literature  which  is  a  sink  of  licentiousness. 
Many  of  the  standard  books  of  Rome,  Greece, 
and  Persia  are  very  unclean.  Our  own  English 
classics  are,  in  no  small  measure,  chargeable  with 
loose  and  immoral  suggestions.  But  the  crown- 
ing  honor  of  the  Chinese  race  is  that  the  books 
most  reverenced  are  the  purest;  that  their  ethics 
are  both  wise  and  just,  if  not  particularly  pro- 
found; and  that  the  national  ideal  of  moral  con- 
duct taught  by  these  books  and  universally  ac- 
cepted, though  too  commonly  ignored,  has  always 
been  both  reasonable  and  good.  As  they  are  the 
oldest  nation  in  the  world,  so  they  have  been  be- 
yond compare  the  most  moderate,  discriminating, 
and  moral.  Their  literature  has  trained  them  in 
courtesy,  temperance,  and  reverence  for  private 
and  public  virtue.  Falling  far  short  though  they 
do  of  the  Christian  standard,  it  must  yet  be  said 
that  they  have  many  virtues  that  Christians  would 
do  well  to  practise  more  circumspectly.  Nor  is 
it  any  wonder  that  they  marvel  at  our  missionaries 
for  trying  to  teach  them  righteousness.  Judging 
our  people  and  our  faith  by  what  is  obvious  to 
themselves,  they  despise  us  as  a  people  addicted 


SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES.  243 

to  quarrelsomeness,  drunkenness,  and  licentious- 
ness.    But  more  of  this  further  on. 

In  writing  the  above  we  have,  unfortunately, 
almost  exhausted  our  opportunities  for  praising 
the  literature  and  the  educational  principles  of 
the  Chinese.  From  this  point  discussion  of  these 
subjects  resolves  itself  into  an  indictment  if  the 
standard  of  comparison  for  learning  is  bound  to 
be  (which  we  cannot  assert)  the  same  as  obtains 
among  ourselves. 

Let  it  be  at  once  understood  that  the  terms 
education  and  learning  mean  something  incompar- 
ably higher  in  the  West  than  they  do  in  the  East, 
a  remark  equally  true  of  such  words  as  worship, 
reverence,  truth,  purity,  and  filial  piety.  Chris- 
tianity has  Christianized  these  words.  In  a  heath- 
en country  they  stand  for  little  more  than  what 
is  customary,  respectable,  and  ethical.  There  is 
in  truth  no  common  ground  on  which  we  can 
base  a  comparison  between  Western  and  Chinese 
learning.  If  the  question  is  asked,  "Are  the 
Chinese  an  educated  people?"  no  answer  is  suffi- 
cient that  does  not  expound  what  is  to  be  under- 
stood by  the  term  education  in  China. 

One  of  the  commonest  delusions  in  regard  to 
China  is  that  all  the  people  can  read,  a  remark 
that  is  often  heard  and  read  in  connection  Vv'itli 
missionary  matters.     A  few  years  ago  a  member 


244     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

of  the  House  of  Commons,  speaking  on  common- 
school  education,  said,  "We  shall  have  to  go  to 
China  to  learn  how  to  educate  the  masses  of  our 
own  population."  Concerning  which  all  that 
need  be  said  is  that  honorable  members  are  not  to 
be  looked  upon  always  as  models  of  accuracy  or 
masters  of  discrimination. 

There  is  no  possible  method  of  deciding  even 
approximately  what  is  the  number  of  persons  able 
to  read.  But  during  the  last  few  years  something 
like  a  general  agreement  has  been  arrived  at 
among  persons  who  have  carefully  studied  the 
question.  Only  a  few  writers  and  speakers  here 
and  there  continue  to  use  the  language  of  exag- 
geration about  it.  Moderate  and  careful  state- 
ments place  the  readers  in  China  at  something 
like  one- tenth  of  the  estimate  of  forty  years  ago. 
Even  so  learned  a  writer  as  Medhurst  says,  "The 
number  of  individuals  acquainted  with  letters  in 
China  is  amazingly  great.  One-half  of  the  male 
population  are  able  to  read,  while  some  '  mount 
the  cloudy  ladder '  of  literary  fame  and  far  exceed 
their  companions."  This  was,  doubtless,  the 
opinion  generally  held  by  foreigners  in  China  at 
the  time  Dr.  Medhurst  wrote;  and  it  is  true  still, 
if  the  phrase  "acquainted  with  letters"  might  be 
taken  literally.  There  is  scarcely  an  adult  male 
but  can  pick  out  a  few  characters  here  and  there 


SCHOOLS   AND  COLLEGES.  245 

in  a  proclamation  posted  on  the  wall;  but,  in  the 
Chinese  language,  to  know  a  few  characters  does 
not  assist  one  in  the  least  to  understand  the  mean- 
ing of  others.  Multitudes  can  read  the  characters 
so  as  to  know  the  names  of  hundreds  of  them 
without  being  able  to  read  a  book  so  as  to  make 
out  the  sense  of  it.  There  is  also  an  exceedingly 
numerous  class  of  men  who  can  read  one  book, 
but  not  another. 

It  will  be  understood  that,  in  presenting  the 
following  considerations  as  to  the  number  of  read- 
ers, the  writer  is  not  depreciating  in  any  degree 
the  mental  abilitv  of  the  Chinese.  The  asfojeeate 
number  is  enormous,  and  presents  a  magnificent 
fund  of  material  for  the  Bible  Society  and  Tract 
Society  to  work  upon;  but  we  ought  to  get  rid  as 
soon  as  possible  of  the  fond  delusion  that  readers 
of  books  are  numbered  not  merely  by  tens  of  mil- 
lions, but  by  hundreds  of  millions.  Suppose  the 
population  of  the  whole  empire  to  be  400,000,000. 
It  has  to  be  remembered,  first  of  all,  that  of  these 
one-half  are  women;  that  in  the  whole  of  the 
south  there  are  no  girls'  schools,  and  in  the  north 
the  number  of  females  who  can  read  the  simple 
"Mandarin  dialect,"  while  large  in  the  aggre- 
gate, is  small  compared  with  the  population. 
Let  us  fix  on  a  liberal  figure  for  these  ladies  and 
say  there  are  10,000,000,  so  as  to  throw  the  bal- 


246     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

ance  in  favor  of  the  readers.  Our  number  is  now 
210,000,000,  of  whom  10,000,000  are  females. 
But  half  of  the  males  of  every  country  are  less 
than  twelve  years  of  age,  and  since  the  boy  must 
be  a  genius  who  could  read  even  a  simple  book  at 
sight  in  less  than  ten  years  of  study  on  Chinese 
methods,  we  must  halve  our  200,000,000  of  males. 
From  the  remaining  100,000,000  of  adults,  males 
and  youths,  we  must  deduct  that  large  class  of 
men  who  have  never  been  to  school  at  all — such 
as  the  major  part  of  the  fishermen,  boatmen,  agri- 
cultural laborers,  unskilled  artisans,  chair-bearers, 
baggage-men,  wood-cutters,  and  beggars — many 
millions  of  the  last — who  form  at  least  one-half 
the  total  male  population,  old  and  young.  We 
are  left,  on  our  liberal  way  of  calculating,  with 
50,000,000  of  males  to  account  for;  and  it  is  here 
that  the  element  of  uncertainty  comes  in  and  the 
abundant  room  for  difference  of  opinion.  They 
belong  to  so  many  grades  of  attainment.  There 
is  an  immense  class  of  men  who  knew  a  good  deal 
of  the  character  in  their  younger  days,  but  who, 
in  a  country  without  newspapers  and  magazines 
and  the  ordinary  kinds  of  mental  stimulus  that 
obtain  among  ourselves,  have  grown  very  rusty 
in  it.  It  is,  let  us  say,  extremely  easy  to  forget 
the  arbitrary  and  unalphabetical  hieroglyphics 
that  form  the  written  medium  of  the  language. 


SCHOOLS   AND   COLLEGES.  247 

Another  considerable  class  consists  of  those  who 
through  j^ressure  of  business,  inhrniity,  and,  alx)ve 
all,  short-sightedness,  have  for  many  years  lost  the 
art  of  reading.  Is  20,000,000  too  high  a  figure  for 
these  men  who  are  too  busy,  too  indolent,  or  too 
feeble  to  read?  If  not,  we  have  now  30,000,000 
of  males  to  deal  with.  Now,  all  who  know  the 
Chinaman  are  aware  that  he  is  in  the  habit  of 
saying  "Yes"  to  the  question,  "Do  you  know 
the  character?"  The  coolie  class  will  perhaps  re- 
ply, "How  should  such  a  man  as  I  know  anything 
of  it  ?  My  father  had  no  cash  to  spare  to  send  me 
to  school.  To  me  the  art  is  very  profound  and 
mysterious."  But  great  numbers  call  themselves 
"  know-the-character-men  "  whose  learning  will 
not  bear  investigation.  They  know  the  charac- 
ters they  require  in  their  business;  it  may  be  a 
hundred  or  a  thousand.  They  can  often  read  and 
write  business  letters,  but  they  cannot  read  even  a 
simple  book  at  sight.  The  same  is  true  of  many 
who  are  called  the  learned.  I  have  seen  a  "teach- 
er" in  a  state  of  bewilderment  at  meeting  wnth  a 
few  characters  he  had  not  seen  before.  When  I 
expressed  to  one  of  these  men  my  surprise  that  h-e 
could  not  read  a  pamphlet  which  I  had  fairly  well 
understood  myself,  he  replied,  "How  should  I? 
I  have  never  seen  the  book  before  !"     One  of  the 

most  amusing  sights  of  the  kind  I  ever  witnessed 

15 


Elver  mid  Roiul  in  China. 


248     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

was  the  attempt  of  a  graduate  of  the  first  degree 
to  make  sense  of  the  third  chapter  of  John.  He 
gave  it  up  at  last  with  an  impatient  shout,  and 
evidently  not  because  of  the  doctrine.  Place  the 
women  readers  of  the  north  at  10,000,000  if  you 
will,  and  the  men  readers  of  the  whole  empire  at 
several  tens  of  millions  if  you  think  it  safe,  the 
number,  though  enormous  in  the  aggregate  and 
presenting  so  fine  a  field  for  the  dissemination  of 
religious  truth,  is  still  small  in  comparison  with 
the  mass  of  the  population.  In  the  cities  there 
are,  of  course,  more  readers  than  in  the  country 
districts,  and  some  provinces  are  very  far  in  ad- 
vance of  others.  Llissionaries  have  sometimes 
tried  to  make  a  careful  average  estimate.  Some 
years  ago  the  mission  doctors  at  Ningpo  examined 
the  literary  abilities  of  every  patient  who  came  to 
their  hospital,  and  decided  that  in  the  city  itself 
only  about  five  per  cent,  of  the  men  could  read  a 
little.  That  percentage  would  have  to  be  lowered 
for  the  villages.  In  the  northerly  provinces, 
where  the  ]\Iandarin  language  is  read  and  spoken, 
the  proportion  of  readers  is  larger  than  in  the 
south,  where  the  dialects  and  languages  are  so 
numerous  and  the  written  language  coincides  so 
little  with  the  market  tongues.  The  most  deplor- 
ably ignorant  province  is  Fuh-kien.  Intelligent 
and  judicious  colporters  in  that  province  have  as- 


SCHOOLS   AND   COLLEGES.  249 

siired  the  writer  that  only  one  or  two  per  cent,  of 
the  men  can  read  with  sufficient  intelligence  to 
allow  of  the  hope  that  if  they  receive  the  Scrip- 
tures their  own  eyes  could  convey  the  meaning  to 
their  minds  and  hearts. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  trace  the  mistaken  no- 
tions current  in  England  to  their  true  source. 
The  facts  concerning  Chinese  education  are  re- 
markable enough  to  account  for  them.  Every 
town  and  almost  every  village  has  its  schools. 
The  door  to  official  promotion  is  in  the  examina- 
tion hall.  Degrees  are  conferred  upon  successful 
students.  So  greatly  are  these  degrees  coveted 
that  the  unsuccessful  will  try  for  several  tens  of 
years  to  thread  their  way  through  the  maze  that 
leads  to  success.  The  most  notable  men  of  a 
neighborhood  are  not  the  wealthy  but  the  learned. 
The  schoolmasters  form  a  distinct  portion  of  the 
aristocracy  of  the  land.  Monuments  and  tablets 
are  erected  to  the  memory  of  celebrated  writers. 
And  beyond  all  these  things,  the  immense  bulk  of 
their  literature,  however  poor  may  be  the  quality 
of  it,  will  explain  how  a  partial  and  cursory  glance 
at  the  question  of  Chinese  education  has  led  to  an 
exaggerated  estimate  of  the  general  culture  of  the 
people.  Even  if  a  new-comer  had  never  heard  of 
the  honor  which  the  Chinese  accord  to  a  knowl- 
edge of  reading  and  writing,  he  could  not  help 


250     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

soon  becoming  conscious  of  it.  He  observes 
writing  in  all  directions — shop  signs,  ornamental 
inscriptions,  placards,  proclamations.  He  may 
perchance  happen  to  stroll  through  a  street  almost 
entirely  consisting  of  bookshops,  like  the  Pater- 
noster Row  of  Canton.  Such  a  sight  impresses 
him  the  more  because  of  his  ignorance  of  the  fact 
that  not  in  one  village  in  a  thousand  is  there  a 
book  to  be  bought;  nor  does  he  know  that  it  is 
still  a  country  without  newspapers,  except  along 
the  coast.  Now  and  again  in  his  walk  through  the 
city  he  hears  the  loud  chatter  of  a  score  of  lads 
reading  their  lessons  in  school.  It  may  be  the 
time  of  the  provincial  examinations  for  the  Civil 
Service,  and  the  town  is  thronged  with  young 
and  middle-aged  men  who  are  ready  to  enter 
the  vast  hall  or  court  where  the  examinations  are 
held.  All  these  things  are  most  suggestive.  But 
what  perhaps  impresses  most  powerfully  the  un- 
tutored observer  is  the  respect  which  he  finds  is 
paid  by  all  to  the  written  character.  Small 
shrines  are  erected  at  the  corners  of  many  streets, 
forming  furnaces  into  which  the  devout  throw 
every  scrap  of  written  paper,  whether  written  by 
hand,  printed,  or  stamped,  every  piece  of  a  torn 
book,  their  old  letters,  and  shreds  that  contain 
the  price-marks  of  goods.  So  sacred  a  thing  is  the 
character  reckoned  to  be  that  slips  of  paper  are 


SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES.  25I 

pasted  on  the  walls  calling  on  the  populace  to 
"reverence  lettered  paper."  Baskets  are  car- 
ried round  to  the  shops  by  persons  hired  for  the 
purpose  to  collect  these  odds  and  ends  with  wri- 
tin£^  on  thcni.  The  benevolent  and  pious  well- 
to-do  people  put  themselves  to  the  trouble  and 
expense  of  hiring  these  collectors  of  waste  paper 
under  the  belief  that  the  unwary  and  irreligious 
multitude  would  bring  upon  themselves  blindness 
and  disease  in  this  life,  and  the  heaviest  penalties 
of  hell  in  the  next,  by  using  lettered  paper  to 
kindle  fires  or  by  sweeping  it  up  with  the  dirt 
and  rubbish  of  the  house  or  street.*  Our  new 
arrival  is  informed  that  these  characters  are  hon- 
ored with  the  names  of  "  the  eyes  of  the  sages," 
and  that  the  art  of  writing  is  poetically  called 
"treading  in  the  footsteps  of  holy  men."  And 
to  crown  all  this  array  of  illustration  of  the  sup- 
posed learning  of  the  people,  he  is  told  that  to 

*  In  Foochow,  in  1875,  an  official  proclamation  was  posted  on 
the  walls  of  the  city,  signed  by  the  literary  chief  of  the  local  pre- 
fectural  examinations,  calling  attention  to  the  prevailing  "  disre- 
spect exhibited  towards  the  written  character  by  shopkeepers, 
who,  in  shameless  disregard  of  propriety  and  ancient  usage,  have 
the  audacity  to  print  words  upon  the  papers  and  wrappers  used 
in  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  the  character  being  thus  often 
torn  and  soiled  with  dirt  in  a  way  that  excites  one's  strongest  in- 
dignation ;"  and,  to  avoid  this  criminal  act  of  writing  upon  their 
parcels  and  goods,  merchants  were  exhorted  "'  to  use  rings  and 
signs  and  figures  of  birds,  fisii,  insects,  and  flowers  on  their  goods 
and  packages,  thus  causing  many  benefits  to  accrue  to  public 
morality." 


252     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

pass  an  examination  is  to  rise  several  grades  in 
social  standing,  that  snch  a  scholar  confers  dis- 
tinction upon  the  district  in  which  he  dwells,  as 
well  as  upon  himself;  that  a  new  and  resounding 
title  is  given  to  him;  and  that  not  respect  and 
influence  only,  but  the  path  to  wealth  also,  in 
many  cases  is  open  to  a  man  who  succeeds  in  the 
endeavor  to  join  this  literary  aristocracy.  Who 
can  wonder  that  such  facts,  curious  and  supersti- 
tious-as  many  of  them  are,  lead  to  the  conviction 
that  the  Chinese  are  an  eminently  literary  people? 

Let  us  examine  this  educational  system  from 
its  foundation. 

We  enter  a  boys'  school  and  find  from  fifteen 
to  twenty-five  lads  -eight  to  sixteen  years  of  age 
seated  upon  bamboo  stools  at  tiny  tables.  On 
each  table  is  a  slab  of  stone,  a  stick  of  India-ink, 
and  the  writing  brushes.  Some  are  copying  char- 
acters in  little  yellow  books;  others  are  reading 
their  lessons.  These  latter  shout  their  loudest 
instead  of  speaking  in  quiet  tones.  The  school- 
master is  satisfied  with  them  so  long  as  they  are 
making  a  noise.  In  ringing  treble,  their  faces 
upturned  and  the  veins  of  their  necks  distended, 
these  shaven-headed,  blue-robed  little  Celestials 
repeat  the  lessons  prescribed  by  the  Board  of  Ed- 
ucation a  millennium  or  two  ago,  raising  such  a 
din  that  the  whole  neighborhood  can  hear,  and 


SCHOOLS   AND  COLLEGES.  255 

the  passer-by  is  advertised  of  the  existence  of  the 
schooh 

On  entering  the  scliooh-ooni  in  the  morning 
the  boys  first  bow  to  the  tablets  of  Confucins  and 
the  god  of  letters.  Then  they  turn  to  their  teacher 
and  do  the  same.  A  stick  of  incense  is  then  placed 
in  front  of  the  tablets  and  the  business  of  the  day 
begins. 

The  schoolmasters  are  not  a  prepossessing  race 
of  men,  if  the  writer's  experience  of  them  is  a  safe 
criterion.  A  dirtier,  greasier,  slovenlier  set  of 
men  are  not  to  be  seen.  Perhaps  the  sedentary 
and  uninspiring  tasks  make  them  careless  in  their 
habits  and  lead  them  to  much  smoking  of  to- 
bacco. It  has  also  to  be  remembered  that  the 
schoolmasters  generally  are  the  class  of  "schol- 
ars" who  have  not  succeeded  hitherto  in  obtain- 
ing a  degree.  There  are  no  schools  supported  by 
the  Government,  nor  is  there  anywhere  a  local 
tax  levied  to  provide  education  for  those  who  can- 
not afford  to  pay  for  the  instruction  of  their  chil- 
dren. It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  building 
which  had  been  specially  erected  as  a  school- 
house.  A  needy  "literate"  hires  a  dwelling 
with  a  large  room  and  gets  as  many  pupils  as  he 
can.  The  school  hours  are  from  sunrise  to  ten  in 
the  forenoon,  and  from  eleven  to  sundown.  The 
boys  begin  their  course  of  study  by  reading  the 


256     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

names  of  the  characters.     This  they  continue  to 
do  for  several  years,  not  being  taught  the  mean- 
ing of  them  until  they  have  arrived  at  an  age 
when  they  are  believed  to  be  capable  of  under- 
standing such  explanations.     Their  little   heads 
become  mere  memory-boxes  for  certain  signs  and 
sounds,  but  no  intelligent  ideas  at  all  are  connect- 
ed with  them.     They  also  learn  by  rote  certain 
small  primers  which  are  the  universal  standard 
readers,  called  the  Four  Books  of  Confucius  and 
the   Five   Ancient   Classics.       Throughout  their 
whole   course   nothing   else  whatever   is   taught 
than  reading  and  writing  and  committing  to  mem- 
ory these  little  books  known  to  every  Chinaman. 
Such  studies  as  geography,   arithmetic,   history, 
natural  science,  and  foreign  languages  are  not  so 
much  as  thought  of.      It  would  greatly  surprise 
one  of  these   learned    teachers  to  tell  him    that 
these  subjects  were  essentials  of  a  liberal  educa- 
tion.    It  is  not  fair  to  judge  the  whole  class  by 
such  specimens  as  we  have  met;  but  our  experi- 
ence must  have  been  very  unfortunate,  or  else  the 
schoolmasters  are  a  very  dull  and  benighted  race. 
Their  incapacity  to  discriminate  upon  the  plain- 
est subject  that  is  out  of  the  groove  of  their  educa- 
tion is  ludicrous  almost  to  the  point  of  irritation. 
No  question  is  too  childish  for  a  schoolmaster  to 
ask  and  no  absurdity  too  gross  to  be   believed. 


SCHOOLS   AND  COLLEGES.  259 

Visiting  one  of  these  gentry  in  the  house  of  a 
wealthy  merchant,  he  leered  at  me  blankly  for 
some  five  minutes,  and  then  asked,  "  Can  your 
ships  sail  to  the  moon?"  I  thought  I  must  have 
misunderstood  him;  but  he  was  anxious  I  should 
not  credit  him  with  too  much  sense,  and  pressed 
the  question.  The  impossibility  of  a  ship  sailing 
in  the  air  had  to  be  explained  to  him  as  to  a  child 
of  three  years  of  age. 

Such  a  schoolmaster  earns  a  very  poor  living 
unless  he  can  get  twenty  pupils  who  pay  regularly 
and  well.  In  Fuh-kien  the  fee  is  half  a  dollar  a 
month  for  each  pupil — say,  from  fourpence  to 
fivepence  a  week.  Taking  the  difference  in  the 
value  of  money  into  account,  we  might  call  it 
about  three  shillings  a  week  for  a  boy's  education, 
a  fact  which  will  reveal  very  clearly  how  much 
China  needs  to  adopt  our  public-school  system  of 
inexpensive  education.  In  the  country  districts 
a  fee  of  less  than  half  a  dollar  is  the  rule,  but  in 
this  case  the  parents  of  the  pupils  are  expected  to 
send  to  the  master  presents  of  eatables  with  some 
degree  of  regularity. 

The  system  of  education  in  the  colleges  does 
not  appear  to  much  better  advantage.  There  is 
a  change  only  in  the  names  of  the  books,  little  or 
none  in  the  quality  of  them.  Nor  is  the  educa- 
tion of  the  student  in  our  sense  of  the  term  ad- 


26o     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

vanced  in  a  degree  at  all  proportionate  to  the 
immense  labor  and  perseverance  with  which  these 
studies  are  pursued.  Among  ourselves  there  are 
multitudes  of  men  and  women  who  are  profound 
students  simply  for  the  love  of  learning.  We  call 
them  hard  readers  or  book-worms  or  consumers  of 
the  midnight  oil.  They  love  to  add  to  their  stores 
of  knowledge.  The  scientist  or  philologist  or  the- 
ologian studies  for  the  sake  of  doing  so  and  for 
love  of  learning.  But  it  would  be  hard  to  find 
such  a  person  in  China.  There  literature  is  pur- 
sued almost  solely  as  a  means  of  gain,  to  secure 
an  honorable  position  in  society  or  advancement 
in  office  and  wealth.  Originality  of  thought  is 
not  cultivated  nor  desired.  To  strike  out  for 
one's  self  a  new  path,  whether  in  thought  or  ex- 
pression, would  be  to  insure  failure.  Almost  the 
only  mental  faculty  trained  to  study  is  that  of 
memory,  A  theme  is  given  by  the  examining 
board,  and  an  essay  must  be  written  upon  it  con- 
forming closely  to  the  style  which  has  been  re- 
garded for  ages  as  the  standard.  The  classics 
must  be  quoted  liberally  and  with  absolute  pre- 
cision. The  candidate  most  likely  to  be  "  placed ' ' 
is  the  one  whose  memory  recalls  most  readily 
classic  phrases  bearing  on  the  subject  given.  It 
scarcely  needs  be  pointed  out  how  ludicrously 
short  such  a  system  falls  of  what  we  mean  by  edu- 


SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES.  261 

cation.  In  as  far  as  the  ethics  of  Confucius  and 
his  greater  pupil  ]\Iencius  guide  the  understand- 
ing and  afford  a  basis  for  sound  judgment,  these 
students  may  be  said  to  be  educated.  Nor  will 
we  forget  to  credit  them  with  a  well-trained  mem- 
ory. But  of  what  expands  the  mind  and  leads  it 
into  undiscovered  paths  there  is  almost  nothing. 
Let  it  be  remembered  that  there  are  not  difierent 
kinds  or  grades  of  training  and  examination  for 
those  who  intend  to  pursue  law,  medicine,  or  a 
military  career.  For  all  there  is  nothing  but 
these  everlasting  and  wearisome  classics.  To  be 
able  to  write  a  stilted  essay  and  prosy  rhymes  is 
considered  sufficient  proof  of  fitness  to  embark  in 
any  undertaking.  In  the  highest  examinations 
the  history  of  China  has  a  place;  but  general  his- 
tory, geography,  mathematics,  philosophy,  scien- 
ces, and  languages  would  be  thought  utterly  un- 
worthy of  the  halls  of  learning. 

To  Europeans  whose  notions  of  liberal  culture 
cover  a  considerable  range  of  study  which  cannot 
be  in  itself  a  means  of  direct  pecuniary  profit  or 
a  source  of  fame,  it  is  impossible  to  fathom  the 
profound  ignorance  of  the  average  Chinese  grad- 
uate. If  he  is  asked  whether  he  knows  where 
England,  France,  Russia,  and  America  are,  he 
replies,  "What  advantage  would  it  be  ?  I  am 
not  intendiufr  to  travel."     The  same  sort  of  an- 


262     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

svver  is  given  to  the  question  would  he  like  to 
know  a  foreign  language.  "No,  I  do  not  see 
how  I  could  earn  any  money  by  it."  His  world 
is  the  land  of  his  birth,  and  less  than  that — it  is 
the  narrow  circle  in  which  he  expects  to  pass  his 
days. 

Yet  there  are  foreigners  of  talent,  and  whose 
position  and  culture  give  their  opinions  a  claim 
to  our  respect,  who  sometimes  indulge  in  a  lau- 
datory style  of  criticism  of  Chinese  learning.  As 
we  write  there  comes  to  hand  a  newspaper  with 
the  report  of  a  speech  by  -a  gentleman  with  a  uni- 
versity degree.  He  says,  "The  Chinese  have  for 
many  years  had  a  most  elaborate  system  of  uni- 
versities. There  are  one  hundred  thousand  men 
who  have  taken  a  degree  equal  to  any  degree  in 
England.  There  are  smaller  university  towns  at 
which  the  degree  equivalent  to  the  London  B.  A. 
may  be  taken.  A  candidate,  after  passing  this 
examination,  may  proceed  to  the  capital  of  his 
province  to  compete  for  the  second  degree,  which 
may  be  compared  to  the  English  M.  A."  There 
is  no  need  to  quote  on  the  other  side  the  state- 
ments of  some  of  the  most  learned  English  and 
German  scholars  who  have  pointed  out  the  fatuity 
of  such  assertions.  The  author  of  the  above- 
quoted  words  himself  suggests  that  there  must  be 
something  fatally  amiss  in  the  system  of  gradua- 


CHINESE  PUNISHMENTS. 


SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES.  265 

tioii  by  proceeding  to  add,  "I  had  a  station  in 
one  of  these  higher  towns  where  every  third 
year  four  thousand  eight  hundred  men  came  up 
for  examination.  Of  these  four  thousand  eight 
hundred  only  seventy-five  could  possibly  take  the 
degree,  because  the  Goveriuncnt  granted  no  viore^  so 
that  a  successful  competitor  gains  a  very  high 
honor."  We  may  put  side  by  side  with  that 
statement  the  words  of  Dr.  Medhurst,  written  at 
a  date  when  such  opinions  were  perfectly  excusa- 
ble: "Wealth,  patronage,  friends,  or  favor  are  of 
no  avail  in  procuring  advancement,  while  talent, 
merit,  diligence,  and  perseverance,  even  in  the 
poorest  and  humblest  individual,  are  almost  sure 
of  their  appropriate  reward.  This  is  their  princi- 
ple, and  their  practice  does  not  much  vary  from 
it.  They  have  a  proverb  that  w^hile  royalty  is 
hereditary,  office  is  not,  and  the  plan  adopted  at 
the  public  examinations  is  an  illustration  of  it." 
Both  in  the  matter  forming  the  subject  of  exami- 
nation and  the  manner  of  conferring  degrees  they 
differ  so  much  from  our  own  universities  that  it  is 
vain  to  institute  comparisons.  Let  them  have  all 
due  honor,  and  a  large  measure  of  it,  for  the  re- 
spect in  which  they  hold  learning  and  the  zeal 
with  which  they  pursue  it;  but  for  the  credit  of 
European  scholarship  and  for  dread  of  ridiculous 
inaccuracy,  let  reference  to  these  Chinese  degrees 


266     ALONG  RIVER  AND   ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

as  equivalents  of  our  B.  A.,  M.  A.,  LL-  D.,  and 
F.  R.  S.  be  for  ever  avoided.  * 

Mr.  G.  W.  Cooke  in  his  interesting  corre- 
spondence, published  at  the  time  of  the  last  war 
with  China,  reported  many  conversations  with 
the  Viceroy  Yeh,  and  among  the  rest  his  state- 
ments as  to  the  preparation  he  had  made  for  his 
position.  He  had  taken  the  four  degrees.  His 
last  distinction  was  so  great  that  he  stood  second 
on  the  list  at  the  highest  examination.  From  the 
lengthy  dialogue  printed  in  the  "Times"  at  that 
date  and  afterwards  published  in  a  volume  we 
cull  a  few  of  the  correspondent's  queries  and  the 
replies  of  this  distinguished  graduate,  but  gigantic 
murderer,  who  died  of  surfeit,  dirt,  and  laziness: 

"  Your  Excellency  was  judge  of  Yunnan:  did 
you  ever  study  Chinese  law?"      "  Never." 

"Did  you  never  read  the  Chinese  code?" 
"No." 

"May  I  believe  that  a  man  who  understands 
the  Four  Books  and  the  Five  Classics  is  thereby 
and  without  any  further  study  fitted  for  every 
public  office  in  China?"     "From  the  very  com- 

»  It  may  be  interesting  to  some  to  read  the  names  of  the  four 
literary  degrees.  They  are  Siii-isai,  or  "  flowering  talent,"  because 
of  the  promise  held  out  of  the  future  success  of  the  scholar ;  Kii- 
jin,  or  "promoted  men;"  Tsin-szc,  or  "  advanced  doctors;"  and 
Han-lin,  which  is  ratlier  an  office  than  a  degree,  for  those  who 
attain  it  are  enrolled  as  members  of  the  Imperial  Academy  and 
receive  salaries.     (Dr.  Williams,  "  Middle  Kingdom.") 


SCHOOLS  And  colleges.  267 

mcncement  of  the  Chinese  Empire  it  has  been 
the  custom  to  depend  entirely  on  the  Four  Books," 

"Can  your  Excellency  speak  or  read  Man- 
tchu?"      "No." 

' '  Nor  the  Cantonese  dialect  ?"     "  No. " 

"  In  seeking  civil  emjDloy  must  you  not  know 
something  of  practical  matters,  such  as  how  to 
restrain  rivers  within  their  channels?"  "No; 
we  are  only  expected  to  speak  of  the  true  doc- 
trine." 

"Are  you  not  required  to  be  acquainted  with 
natural  history  or  trade  or  relations  with  foreign 
countries?"  "No"  (emphatically);  "we  are 
only  expected  to  speak  of  the  true  doctrine." 

And  so  on  to  any  length. 

With  such  a  system  of  education  it  can  be  no 
matter  of  surprise  that  the  graduates  in  China 
appear  to  be  the  most  ignorant,  foolish,  and  im- 
practicable class  of  the  people.  Among  the  coolie 
and  shop-keeping  class  one  meets  with  most  in- 
telligent and  thoughtful  men,  but  the  aristocracy 
of  "learning"  in  general  seem  incapable  of  re- 
ceiving a  new  idea.  From  the  very  beginning 
of  their  studies  their  range  of  thought  has  been 
cramped  by  the  method  pursued.  Their  point  of 
view  in  regard  to  the  blessings  of  education  differs 
absolutely  from  ours.  Their  idea  is  that  man 
needs  to  be  kept  from  going  wrong;  ours  that 


26S     ALONG  RIVER  AND   ROAD  IN   FUH-KIKN. 

man  needs  to  be  led  into  the  way  of  right.  Re- 
pression, therefore,  rather  than  expansion,  is  the 
tendency  and  result  of  education.  As  Papuan 
mothers  put  the  heads  of  their  babes  into  a  frame 
to  flatten  them  according  to  Papuan  notions  of 
good  looks,  so  the  minds  of  Chinese  students  are 
crushed  into  a  mould  which  is  regarded  as  the 
very  type  and  acme  of  all  that  is  mentally  and 
morally  elegant,  with  the  natural  result  that  me- 
diocrity is  secured  as  well  as  uniformity.  Original- 
ity is  the  last  gift  a  master  desires  for  his  pupil, 
and  genius  means,  not  native  vigor  of  thought, 
but  an  unusual  gift  for  being  like  everybody  else. 
In  the  Fa-ti  nursery  grounds  near  to  Canton  there 
are  some  very  odd-looking  shrubs.  The  garden- 
ers have  clipped  them  to  the  shape  of  various  fig- 
ures, such  as  a  mandarin  with  flowing  robes,  a 
stag,  a  water  buffalo,  an  Englishman  with  swal- 
low-tail coat,  high  hat,  and  walking-stick.  Every 
twig  that  threatens  to  grow  according  to  its  own 
nature  is  ruthlessly  snipped  off"  in  order  that  the 
whole  form  of  the  bush  may  be  contrary  to  nature. 
Under  such  a  figure  we  may  illustrate  the  ten- 
dency of  Chinese  methods  of  instruction  to  destroy 
true  culture  and  to  repress  the  natural  expansion 
of  the  mind. 

The  curious  plan  of  conferring  degrees  must 
also   be   adverted    to.      The   ceremonial    is   most 


SCHOOLS  AND  COLLEGES.  269 

elaborate  and  stately,  worthy  of  a  people  who  re- 
gard the  possession  of  learning  with  snch  respect. 
But  the  proportion  of  those  who  j)ass  the  exam- 
inations is  absurdly  small.  In  the  Literary  Hall 
of  Canton  there  are  upwards  of  10,000  cells  for 
the  candidates,  and  they  are  filled  at  every  exam- 
ination; but  only  two  or  three  hundred  are  al- 
lowed to  pass.  Of  the  vast  number  who  present 
themselves  year  after  year  the  larger  part  have 
been  up  before,  many  years  in  succession.  A 
teacher  of  mine  who  twice  presented  himself  un- 
successfully while  in  my  employ  told  me  that 
most  of  the  candidates  had  been  trying  to  pass  as 
long  as  he  could  remember.  Cases  have  been 
known  in  which  grandfather,  father,  and  son 
have  come  up  to  the  hall  at  the  same  time,  the 
two  elder  men  having  been  doggedly  pursuing 
their  academical  career  from  their  youth.  To  be 
"ploughed"  only  because  the  Government  re- 
fuses to  grant  more  than  a  certain  number  of  de- 
grees is  enough  to  bring  furrows  to  the  most 
stoical  brow.  Such  unfortunates  usually  earn 
their  living  as  schoolmasters  or  by  doing  petti- 
fogging law  cases  about  the  courts,  or  as  clerks, 
doctors,  letter-writers,  and  fortune-tellers. 

The  difficulty  of  graduating  in  the  recognized 
and  legitimate  way  has  opened  the  door  to  a  vasfc 

system  of  official  corruption.     It  is  believed  that 

16 


270     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

as  many  degrees  are  purchased  with  bribes  as  are 
won  by  talent.  Nothing  is  easier  than  for  a  man 
with  sufficient  coin  to  "purchase  to  himself  a 
good  degree."  To  the  honor  of  the  Chinaman  be 
it  said  that  the  public  mind  holds  such  fictitious 
degrees  in  supreme  contempt ;  but  the  fact  that 
the  possession  of  the  literary  degree  gives  a  touch 
of  refinement  to  the  social  standing  of  the  wealthy 
man,  such  as  he  could  never  win  solely  by  his 
riches,  has  made  the  practice  of  procuring  them 
by  bribery  only  too  common. 

He  v;ould  be  a  bold  prophet  who  should  dare 
to  foretell  anything  that  will  happen  in  China 
during  the  next  twenty-five  years.  But  great  and 
sweeping  changes  will  certainly  come,  affecting 
the  whole  political  and  social  system.  There  is 
abundant  reason,  from  their  point  of  view,  for  the 
conservatism  of  those  native  politicians  who  have 
resisted  the  introduction  of  everything  foreign. 
They  dread  the  stean^-engine  and  the  electric  tel- 
egraph, because  they  fear  quick  communication. 
They  are  perfectly  aware  of  the  superiority  of 
Western  enlightenment,  but  they  are  as  alarmed 
at  the  prospect  of  European  ideas  spreading 
among  the  people  as  ever  Roman  priest  was  at 
his  flock  reading  the  Bible.  The  present  system 
of  government  must  break  up.  Internal  disin- 
tegration will  not  do  it,  for  there  is  a  marvellous 


SCHOOLS   AND  COLLEGES.  271 

cohesiveness  of  national  life  in  the  present  igno- 
rant state  of  the  masses.  But  contact  with  the 
West  will  lead  to  revolution,  sooner  or  later.  The 
shrewd  politicians  of  China  have  foreseen  that  it 
is  inevitable,  as  every  one  who  knows  China  can 
foresee  it.  They  are  not  as  foolish  as  they  some- 
times appear  to  be. 

In  their  modes  of  school  and  college  training 
changes  must  also  set  in  rapidly.  Great  num- 
bers of  Chinese  youths  are  being  trained  in  Amer- 
ica and  Germany.  More  still  are  passing  through 
the  colleges  presided  over  by  foreigners  in  Hong- 
Kong,  Canton,  Shanghai,  and  Peking.  Every 
year  hundreds  of  men  leave  these  institutions  as 
English  scholars.  These  native  gentlemen,  who 
know  our  language  intimately  and  a  good  deal  of 
our  literature,  are  destined  to  displace  the  dullards 
who  worked  their  way  into  office  through  the  old 
doors.  To  be  an  English-speaker  is  to  have  a 
source  of  income  and  to  be  on  the  road  to  power. 
It  is  impossible  that  men  whose  minds  are  steeped 
in  Western  thought  can  continue  to  rule  China  on 
the  same  narrow  lines  as  those  which  have  been 
orthodox  during  four  millenniums.  It  needs  only 
that  a  few  prominent  positions  be  held  by  men 
who  never  entered  a  native  examination-hall  in 
order  to  shake  these  ancient  seats  of  learning  to 
their  foundation.      Foreign  ideas  have  begun  to 


2/2     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

pour  into  the  land,  and  the  torrent  will  soon  be- 
come a  flood.  Daily  newspapers,  edited  by  na- 
tives, circulate  along  the  coast  by  hundreds  of 
thousands,  issuing  chiefly  from  Hong-Kong  and 
Shanghai.  Missionary  periodicals,  weekly  and 
monthly,  pour  forth  tens  of  thousands  •  more. 
Scientific  institutions  of  various  kinds  are  spring- 
ing up  under  European  management.  Arsenals 
and  shipping  companies,  wholly  in  the  hands  of 
natives,  are  accomplished  facts.  The  Govern- 
ment are  so  far  aware  of  the  necessity  of  recogni- 
zing this  tendency  towards  European  methods 
tliat,  though  they  do  not  try  to  keep  pace  with 
the  times,  they  know  the  fates  will  not  allow 
them  to  be  as  far  in  the  rear  as  they  could  wish. 
A  considerable  English  literature  on  every  branch 
of  science,  as  well  as  many  hundreds  of  theologi- 
cal and  religious  bocks,  have  been  translated. 
The  Government  have  even  secured  the  services 
of  a  staff  of  gentlemen  to  act  as  official  translators 
of  standard  scientific  and  other  works.  The  broad 
end  of  the  wedge  is  rapidly  following  the  thin 
end.  Hindered  this  process  will  be  by  the  hatred 
of  the  literary  class  for  everything  foreign;  ham- 
pered it  must  be  by  the  cumbrous  written  charac- 
ter, so  utterly  unsuited  to  express  new  ideas. 
But  these  restraining  influences  will  onlv  tend 
providentially  to  prevent  the  revolution  in  the 


SCHOOLS   AND  COLLEGES.  273 

national  thought  from  being  dangerously  rapid. 
In  the  end,  and  before  very  long,  this  wonderful 
people,  so  shrewd  and  so  anxious  to  be  wise,  will 
prefer  that  which  is  true  and  good,  though  new 
and  foreign,  to  that  which  is  meagre  and  inaccu- 
rate, though  consecrated  by  ancestral  usage  and 
national  approval. 


2/4     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 


CHAPTER   X. 

A   BUDDHIST   MONASTERY. 

The  Monastery  of  the  Bubbling  Well  on  Ku- 
shan,  or  Drum  Mountain,  six  miles  southeast  of 
Foochow,  stands  1,700  feet  up  the  hillside,  and  a 
craggy  peak  towers  yet  another  1,000  feet  above 
it. 

By  the  kindness  of  our  missionary  brethren  we 
were  provided  with  a  comfortable  boat,  in  which 
we  rowed  and  floated  with  the  tide  for  about  five 
miles  to  the  foot  of  Kushan.  The  ascent  begins 
not  very  far  from  the  landing-place.  The  road 
consists  almost  entirely  of  stone  steps  in  good  re- 
pair, each  stone  being  eight  feet  long.  The  steps 
wind  round  several  blufis.  There  are  a  good 
many  trees  overhanging  the  path,  but  at  clear 
points  splendid  views  are  obtained  of  the  great 
valley  of  the  Min,  in  the  direction  of  Foochow. 
Four  archways  divide  the  hour's  ascent  into  easy 
stages  and  provide  places  of  rest  for  the  weary 
climber.  Each  of  these  is  a  rough  kind  of  tem- 
ple supplied  with  gods  in  a  poor  state  of  repair. 
Exposure  to  the  weather  tries  the  constitutions  of 
these  depressed-looking  and  obese  deities,  whose 


A    BUDDHIST    MONASTERY.  2/5 

noses  and  toes  and  other  protuberances  are  apt  to 
show  unmistakable  signs  of  decay.  Sacrilegious 
Englishmen  and  Americans  have,  of  course,  de- 
faced the  walls  of  these  alcoves  with  their  names 
and  sketches;  but  as  the  Chinese  do  the  same  to 
an  uulimited  extent,  no  Chinaman  probably  has 
thought  it  showed  much  lack  of  propriety  on  the 
part  of  the  foreigner. 

While  w^e  are  resting  for  a  few  moments  before 
completing  the  last  part  of  the  ascent  we  may  say 
a  word  or  two  in  regard  to  these  Buddhist  monks. 
Several  of  them  are  persons  who  have  run  away 
from  their  family  obligations,  so  our  guide  tells 
us.  One  has  taken  the  sacred  vows  to  save  him- 
self from  the  last  penalty  of  the  law.  Most  of 
them,  however,  have  either  been  devoted  by  their 
parents  to  the  monastfc  life  when  mere  children 
or  they  have  been  purchased  as  boys  by  the  fra- 
ternity to  complete  their  number.  Priests  trained 
in  these  institutions  can  claim  the  gratuitous  hos- 
pitality of  Buddhist  monasteries  in  all  parts  of  the 
kingdom,  provided  they  present  a  certificate  of 
membership  signed  by  the  abbot  of  the  monastery 
to  which  they  belong.  Most  of  these  places  own 
some  land;  this  one  is  particularly  wealthy;  but 
where  the  property  is  not  large  the  monks  make 
up  the  deficiency  in  their  income  by  begging  of 
visitors,  who  go  in  considerable  numbers  in  fine 


276     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

weather,  or  they  wander  in  the  streets  begging  at 
the  shop-doors.  This  style  of  "  making  a  collec- 
tion "  of  conrse  goes  by  the  title  of  receiving  vol- 
untary contributions  from  the  pious;  but  you  have 
only  to  watch  one  of  these  unwholesome  brethren 
thrusting  himself  upon  the  attention  of  a  shop- 
keeper, and  refusing  to  accede  to  the  polite  re- 
quest that  he  will  leave  clear  the  space  he  occu- 
jDies,  while  he  strikes  a  little  globe  of  brass  with  a 
stick,  to  imderstand  that  such  a  method  is  volun- 
taryism with  a  difference.  Sometimes  a  company 
of  a  score  or  more  will  invade  a  ward  of  a  town 
and  "do"  it  thoroughly  for  a  day,  one  of  the  sol- 
emn and  pious  brethren  beating  a  gong  at  every 
pace  to  draw  attention  to  themselves,  while  a  few 
of  their  servants  follow  thein  to  gather  up  the 
gifts  of  rice,  oil,  and  cash  which  the  bountiful 
feel  inclined  to  bestow.  The  priests  give  up  all 
the  relationships  of  social  life.  That  they  are  cel- 
ibates does  not  so  much  contravene  the  notions  of 
the  Chinese  nor  arouse  their  dislike.  But  the 
fact  that  their  vow  compels  them  also  to  neglect 
their  parents  fills  the  follower  of  Confucius  with 
disgust.  The  name  by  which  they  are  respectful- 
ly, though  obliquely,  referred  to,  "  Forsaken-the- 
family"  ichck-kc),  expresses  this  dislike  in  moder- 
ate terms,  and  the  deeper  feeling  of  contempt 
thrusts    itself   into    notice    in    a    stronger    term, 


A    BUDDHIST   MONASTERY.  VJ 

"Bald-headed  asses,"  which  is  almost  as  com- 
mon. Tliou£;li  much  despised,  the  superstitious 
seek  their  aid  frequently  in  household  religious 
ceremonies.  In  the  monastery  they  spend  much 
of  their  time  in  reciting  the  sacred  books  of  the 
Buddhist  faith,  which,  though  written  in  Chinese, 
are  not  understood  either  by  priests  or  people. 
The  sounds  of  the  original  Sanscrit  as  it  came 
from  India  in  the  year  that  the  apostle  Paul  was 
travelling  in  bonds  to  Rome  are  represented  by 
Chinese  characters,  but  the  meaning  of  the  sounds 
has  been  completely  lost  in  the  ages  that  have 
elapsed  since  Buddhism  was  driven  out  of  India 
to  find  a  refuge  farther  east. 

The  immediate  approach  to  the  monastery  is 
by  a  wide  and  well-kept  road,  densely  shaded  by 
large  trees.  To  a  European  the  general  appear- 
ance of  the  building  from  the  road  or  from  the 
cliffs  around  it  is  not  prepossessing.  It  resembles 
the  granaries,  stables,  and  sheds  of  a  model  farm 
more  than  anything  else.  But  its  situation  in 
this  deep  dell,  with  the  sides  of  the  hill  rising 
sheer  from  its  outer  wall,  the  mass  of  the  moun- 
tain for  a  background  and  the  descending  hill  in 
front  to  the  valley  nearly  2,000  feet  below,  is  one 
that  it  would  be  difficult  to  match  for  beauty. 
Truly  these  monkish  recluses  had  an  eye  for  the 
beautiful  as  well  as  for  their  own  comfort.    About 


278      ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

a  square  acre  and  a  half  is  covered  with  buildings, 
the  various  shrines  and  halls  being  placed  com- 
pactly along  the  four  sides,  while  the  large  tem- 
ples and  the  refectory  occupy  the  central  space. 

The  entrance  is  by  a  wide  wooden  archway, 
on  each  side  of  which  stand  a  pair  of  hideous  fig- 
ures known  as  "  Buddha's  doorkeepers. "  Oppo- 
site the  gate  and  in  the  centre  of  the  large  square 
are  two  temples,  among  the  handsomest  (as  Chi- 
nese taste  goes)  and  most  complete  of  Buddhist 
buildings  in  all  China.  The  smaller  temples  and 
shrines  opening  from  the  surrounding  cloisters  are 
very  numerous,  and  are  dedicated  to  all  the  more 
important  spirits  in  the  Buddhist  Pantheon,  Of 
these  the  highest  place  is  given  to  the  local  deities 
who  shed  down  prosperity  on  the  city  of  Foo- 
chow. 

One  may  remark,  in  passing,  that  either  the 
faculties  of  the  gods  are  growing  rusty  or  they 
have  been  in  a  spiteful  mood  of  late,  for  in  the 
course  of  the  fifteen  months  before  we  gazed  upon 
them  there  had  been  in  Foochow  two  disastrous 
floods,  in  which  the  loss  of  life  and  destruction  of 
property  were  incalculable,  and  one  of  which  car- 
ried away  a  large  part  of  that  great  engineering 
work,  the  "  Bridge  of  Ten  Thousand  Ages,"  which 
Bpans  the  Min;  also  two  extensive  conflagrations, 
destroying  several  thousand  houses,   a   typhoon, 


A    BUDDHIST   MONASTERY.  279 

and  the  cholera.  This  list  of  calamities  shows 
that  the  governmental  arranci^cments  of  said  local 
deities  need  reorganizing  very  badly.  But  there 
they  sit,  poor  things,  apparently  perfectly  satis- 
fied with  themselves;  and  there  come  the  still 
more  pitiable  priests  and  people,  who  regard  the 
"images  good  for  nothing,  the  work  of  an  ancient 
hand,"  as  the  tutelary  deities  that  defend  the  mil- 
lion-peopled city  from  disaster. 

Among  the  various  rooms  that  surround  these 
large  halls  for  worship  are  kitchens  and  store- 
rooms, which  are  worth  seeing  because  of  the 
elaborate  scale  on  which  it  is  necessary  to  prepare 
rice  and  vegetables  for  the  daily  sustenance  of 
upwards  of  two  hundred  vegetarians  ;  a  printing- 
room  for  the  production  of  Buddhist  books  in 
which  with  much  labor  the  small  number  of  one 
hundred  pages  a  day  are  struck  off  from  the  rude- 
ly-cut wooden  blocks;  a  reception-hall  "for  dis- 
tinguished guests;"  the  abbot's  private  rooms  and 
reception-room,  all  appropriately  dingy  and  dirty; 
bath-rooms,  very  foul  and  in  almost  total  dark- 
ness, for  the  compulsory  ablution  of  the  monks  at 
least  once  in  five  days  (and  very  much  some  of 
them  seemed  to  need  it);  the  "Hall  of  Law," 
where  the  precepts  of  Buddha  are  taught  to  neo- 
phytes ;  the  "Hall  of  Contemplation,"  to  which 
these  worthies  retire  to  think  themselves  by  the 


28o     ALONG    RIVER  AND   ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN." 

negation  of  thought  into  eternal  intellectuality; 
and  the  library  and  "Hall  of  the  Five  Hundred 
Honorables. ' ' 

In  the  "Hall  of  Contemplation  "  our  guide, 
who  goes  by  the  name  of  "  Attend-guests,"  with 
much  dumb  show  to  call  our  serious  attention  to 
what  he  was  going  to  do,  drew  aside  a  curtain  of 
cloth  which  had  once  been  blue  and  revealed  to 
us  a  monk  on  a  dais,  kneeling  on  a  low  stool  and 
sitting  on  his  heels.  "This,"  said  Mr.  Attend- 
guest,  "is  a  peculiarly  holy  man,"  though  I  could 
not  help  thinking  there  was  a  peculiarly  facetious 
expression  about  our  friend's  face  as  he  made  the 
remark.  The  monk  was  "contemplating,"  and 
had  been  in  that  attitude  for  three  weeks,  a  little 
food  being  handed  to  him  now  and  then. 

There  is  another  shrine  that  deserves  a  para- 
graph to  itself.  It  was  one  of  the  most  gaudily 
decorated  in  the  monastery.  Under  a  glass  shade 
was  what  seemed  to  be  a  good-sized  section  of  an 
elephant's  tusk,  but  we  were  gravely  assured  that 
it  was  one  of  Buddha's  teeth.  We  remarked  that 
if  Buddha  had  a  tooth  as  large  as  that,  he  himself 
must  have  been  of  gigantic  stature;  to  which  the 
guide  replied,  "Great,  great,  extremely  great." 
That  it  is  really  true  that  these  degenerate  Buddh- 
ists believe  their  founder  to  have  been  so  big, 
there  is  no  doubt,  for  they  will  show  you   the 


A    BUDDHIST   MONASTERY.  28l 

print  of  his  foot.  In  Canton  I  reckoned  the  foot- 
print in  the  granite  rock  shown  me  as  the  mark 
of  Buddha's  footstep  to  be  twelve  feet  long  and 
proportionably  broad.  It  is  difficult  to  conceive 
of  the  state  of  degradation  into  which  Buddhism 
has  sunk  when  it  lays  such  emphasis  upon  the 
mere  physical  bigness  of  the  chief  prophet  of  its 
faith.  In  many  parts  of  China  there  are  temples 
and  shrines  built  over  the  relics  of  Buddha,  and  in 
some  cases  there  is  nothing  more  of  him  to  show 
than  a  single  hair. 

Perhaps  the  most  grotesquely  interesting  sight 
of  all  is  a  quantity  of  live  stock.  In  one  corner 
of  the  monastery  are  stys  and  pens  for  the  preser- 
vation, till  their  happy  release  from  the  burden 
of  life,  of  an  astounding  number  of  decrepit  beasts, 
pigs,  goats,  and  fowls  being  in  the  majority. 
These  are  the  offerings  of  the  faithful  who  hope 
to  purchase  and  secure  everlasting  happiness, 
or  at  least  escape  from  everlasting  perdition,  by 
the  act  of  rescuing  the  animals  from  the  hands  of 
the  unhallowed  mortals  who  destroy  life  and 
grieve  the  soul  of  Buddha.  Let  no  one  say  he 
has  seen  the  most  ancient  of  those  venerable 
chickens,  the  mere  aspect  of  which  takes  off  the 
edge  of  appetite,  until  he  has  visited  Kushan 
and  looked  upon  these  dishevelled  birds,  whose 
eyelids  have  long  since  grown  together,  leaving 


282     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

them  in  darkness,  and  whose  very  feet  are  cov- 
ered with  feathers  an  inch  in  length.  In  this 
weird  menagerie,  too,  may  be  seen  goats  with 
hair  trailing  upon  the  ground,  and  pigs  with  their 
four  limbs  stretched  out  at  right  angles  to  their 
body,  not  through  weight  of  fat  by  any  means,  but 
simply  through  weight  of  years.  Here  the  moral 
philosopher  may  learn  what  a  gift  for  torture 
some  men  exhibit  in  what  they  are  pleased  to 
call  their  mercy.  Surely  such  melancholy  mute 
appeals  from  dumb  animals  to  a  sympathizing 
spectator  are  to  be  seen  nowhere  else.  The  kind- 
est hand  that  could  be  introduced  into  these  stys 
would  be  that  of  a  butcher.  It  is  a  temptation  to 
risk  one's  immortality  in  a  Buddhistic  Nir\'ana 
for  the  sake  of  putting  an  end  to  such  an  accu- 
mulation of  misery.  Death  appears  no  longer 
a  curse,  but  a  blessing,  after  seeing  in  the  survi- 
val of  these  unhappy  quadrupeds  and  fowls  the 
sorrows  and  the  pains  of  age. 

A  similar  sight,  but  without  its  ghastly  fea- 
tures, meets  one  in  the  court  opposite  the  central 
temple.  Here  are  fishponds  in  which  are  multi- 
tudes of  fish,  and  some  of  them  apparently  of 
great  size.  They  look  like  gigantic  perch  as 
they  struggle  for  the  biscuit  which  we  throw  to 
them.  Puffing  and  panting,  gasping  aloud,  like, 
a  cow  coughing  as  she  chews  the  cud,  they  writhe 


A    BUDDHIST    MONASTKRY.  283 

over  the  surface,  a  slimy,  tortuous  mass.  These 
fish  also  are  preserved  out  of  devotiou  to  Buddha. 
But  we  must  now  relate  a  good  story  told  by 
one  of  our  number  who  had  been  here  before. 
He  said  that  on  his  former  visit  he  got  into  an 
argument  with  Mr.  Attend-guests  on  the  subject 
of  the  wickedness  of  taking  animal  life.  "  But, 
Tai-kek,"  said  my  friend,  "  would  you  not  kill  a 
flea  or  a  mosquito?"  "Neither  a  flea  nor  a  mos- 
quito nor — "  and  here  he  mentioned  a  list  of  the 
most  prominent  parasites  upon  the  human  sub- 
ject in  China — "that,"  he  added,  "would  be  to 
imperil  my  soul."  Later  in  the  day  my  friend 
came  upon  Tai-kek  endeavoring  to  drown  his  bed- 
ding in  the  fishpond  by  putting  brick-bats  upon 
it,  and  of  course  doing  it  with  intentions  which 
were  self-evident.  "Why,  Tai-kek,"  said  our 
missionary  brother,  "  what  are  you  doing  there? 
You  said  you  would  not  destroy  even  a  flea." 
"  Nor  am  I,"  said  Tai-kek;  "they  can  swim.  If 
the  fish  choose  to  destroy  them,  that  is  their  af- 
fair!" 

Above  the  roof  of  one  of  the  shrines  is  an  im- 
mense bronze  bell,  which  is  struck  at  regular  in- 
tervals. In  another  chapter  I  have  attempted  to 
explain  the  purpose  of  the  wave  of  sound  that  it 
produces,  and  to  show  its  relation  to  the  whole 
theory  of  Feng-Shui.     In  some  occult  fashion  it 


284    ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

is  believed  to  pacify,  harmonize,  and  regulate  the 
spirit-influences  that  affect  the  building  and  its 
occupants.  The  vibrations  are  said  to  circulate 
through  the  veins  of  surrounding  nature,  preserv- 
ing to  the  monastery  peace,  health,  and  general 
good  luck.  The  blessings  the  bell  showers  out 
in  its  mellow  tones  extend  as  far  as  to  Foochow. 
The  monks  declare  that  the  reverberations  never 
cease,  and  that  were  there  even  a  momentary  si- 
lence, the  threads  of  the  spirit-influences  would  be 
severed  and  calamity  would  ensue.  On  this  ac- 
count, day  and  night,  year  in  and  year  out,  one 
of  their  number  must  be  there  to  give  the  stroke — 
blows  at  intervals  of  about  forty  seconds  being 
sufficient  to  make  one  reverberation  mingle  with 
the  subsidence  of  its  predecessor. 

But  monks  are  lazy  mortals  and  love  not  work 
even  though  it  be  not  hard.  Moreover,  being 
lazy,  they  are  prone  to  slumber;  and  even  though 
they  fall  not  asleep,  yet  may  they  fall  to  thinking 
over  deeply  on  that  strange  work-a-day  world  that 
lies  nearly  2,000  feet  below  them.  Thus  even 
the  zealous  and  anxious  soul  hath  been  known  to 
leave  too  long  an  interval  between  the  successive 
booming  of  the  bell.  Consequently  they  have  in- 
vented a  method  by  which  they  may  be  saved  the 
effort  of  drawing  the  cord  that  bangs  the  pendent 
lump  of  wood  against  the  outer  side  of  the  bell. 


A   BUDDHIST   MONASTERY.  285 

Some  seventy  yards  or  more  from  the  belfry  a 
stream  runs  down  from  the  hillside.  This  is 
dammed  up  to  form  a  pool  for  constant  supply. 
As  the  water  runs  over  at  its  outlet  it  fills  a  wood- 
en trough,  which,  when  it  is  nearly  full,  turns 
over  by  the  weight  of  water,  and  pulls  the  cord 
that  rings  the  bell  that  rules  the  spirits  that  bring 
peace  to  the  otherwise  troubled  souls  of  the 
monks.  And  so,  through  gradations  as  regular 
as  in  the  story  of  "The  House  that  Jack  Built," 
the  trickling  stream  that  innocently  issues  from 
the  hillside  makes  its  influence  felt  as  far  as  the 
city  of  Foochow. 

Outside  the  monastery  walls  the  walks  on  hill 
and  in  dale,  over  crag  and  cliff,  through  fern- 
copse  and  wooded  dell,  in  caves  and  grottos,  by 
natural  and  artificial  streams  and  fountains,  are 
very  beautiful.  Walking  alone  in  the  brushwood 
while  my  friends  were  at  some  distance,  it  was 
my  hap  to  see  at  my  feet  a  huge  snake,  whose 
coil,  as  it  lay  in  the  grass,  must  have  measured 
thirty  inches  across.  It  is  needless  to  say  I  did 
not  remain  to  observe  it  more  accurately.  Men- 
tioning the  fact  to  the  monks,  we  learned  that 
this,  like  the  dilapidated  domestic  brutes  within 
the  monastery,  was  an  importation.  A  faithful 
believer  residing  in  the  west  of  the  province  had 
purchased    its   preservation,    when   about    to    be 

River  and  Roail  in  Cliina.  I  7 


286     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

killed,  for  the  sum  of  sixteen  dollars,  and  put 
himself  to  the  further  expense  of  having  it  car- 
ried across  to  Kushan.  Its  weight  is  75  lbs.,  and 
its  teeth  are  said  to  be  extracted.  It  is  literally 
the  bete-noire  of  the  monks,  who  doubtless  regret 
that  the  necessity  of  securing  their  salvation  com- 
pels them  to  allow  it  to  roam  about  in  their  beau- 
,  tiful  woods.  If  the  buyer  of  the  boa,  or  whatever 
it  is,  expected  to  attain  heavenly  bliss  through 
his  faith,  toil,  and  expense,  he  should  at  least  have 
reflected  on  the  possibility  of  his  sending  some 
one  else  out  of  the  world  more  speedily  than  is 
kind. 

Our  main  object  in  visiting  Kushan  was  to  see 
Buddhist  worship  at  its  best.  At  3:30?.  m.  the 
monks  were  summoned  to  prayer  by  the  beating 
of  the  hollow  trunk  of  a  tree  shaped  to  the  like- 
ness of  a  dragon.  This  same  trunk  had  suffered 
considerably  through  the  united  efforts  of  time 
and  the  cudgel,  and  threatened  to  succumb  al- 
together after  a  little  more  flagellation.  Less 
than  a  hundred  members  of  the  fraternity  put  in 
an  appearance  at  the  sound  of  the  church-going 
dragon,  for  if  they  attend  at  the  service  held  be- 
fore daybreak  they  are  excused  in  the  afternoon. 
All  wore  the  sacred  yellow  hood  over  the  robe, 
the  abbot  being  arrayed  in  a  red  robe  and  red 
shoes.       Before  entering  the  great   temple   each 


A   BUDDHIST  MONASTERY.  287 

man  bowed  in  silence  for  a  few  moments  before 
the  shrine  of  the  "  local  "  deities. 

The  temple,  judged  by  Western  ideas  of  taste, 
is  tawdry  and  the  attempt  at  elaboration  is  over- 
done. Three  colossal  images  of  the  Buddhas, 
Past,  Present,  and  To  Come,  occupy  the  space 
farthest  from  the  entrance  door.  A  profusion  of 
shrines,  rich  carving,  numberless  pendent  lanterns 
of  every  shape  and  many  sizes,  images,  candles, 
flowers,  decorate  the  altars  and  shrines.  The 
signs  of  wealth  are  abundant,  but  there  is  no  sign 
of  good  taste  or  of  the  sentiment  of  worship. 
Gaudiness  and  costliness  are  the  two  things  that 
seem  to  have  been  aimed  at. 

Of  large  altars  there  are  two;  one  in  front  of 
the  images  of  Buddha,  and  the  other,  much  small- 
er and  near  the  door,  standing  between  the  high 
altar  and  the  door.  This  smaller  altar  was  used 
at  the  service  we  witnessed,  the  other  being  the 
altar  at  which  high  mass  is  performed  on  festival 
days.  There  are  no  seats  for  worshippers.  Rows 
of  kneel ing-stools  about  ten  inches  high,  and  mats 
to  stand  upon,  are  the  only  pieces  of  furniture. 

The  service  is  about  to  begin.  Amid  solemn 
silence  a  drum  is  struck  to  give  the  signal.  Soft 
and  slow  music  at  once  breaks  upon  the  ear.  The 
abbot  marches  in,  dressed  in  his  priestly  vestments, 
attended  by  little  boys  as  acolytes,  who  bear  in 


288     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN 

their  hands  pots  of  incense,  or  bells,  which  they 
strike  at  intervals.  The  music  very  gradually  be- 
comes more  rapid,  increasing  in  volume  as  well 
as  in  speed.  Now  and  then  the  monks  turn  to 
face  one  another,  two  and  two,  and  as  they  swing 
round  again  to  their  former  position  the  music  de- 
clines to  its  ongimd  piano  and  andante  strains. 

At  the  time  of  listening  to  the  monks  I  did 
not  attempt  to  write  down  the  various  chants. 
My  attention  was  far  too  much  engrossed  with 
the  extraordinary  spectacle.  But  on  returning  to 
Foochow  a  friend  who  had  been  to  Kushan  sever- 
al times,  and  who  had  a  trustworthy  musical  ear, 
assisted  my  memory.  The  following  three  chants 
are,  I  believe,  quite  accurate,  or,  if  incorrect  in 
any  particular,  are  so  approximately  correct  as  to 
form  a  sufficient  illustration  of  the  nature  of  the 
Kushan  melodies.  The  first  of  them  was  sung 
without  intermission  for  about  seventeen  minutes, 
just  as  in  the  Roman  churches  the  pagan  fashion 
is  followed  of  invoking  the  popish  pantheon  at 
vespers. 


-V — I — , ^^-m — J-  —a — I M J — I *— 


-^-^m — ^  .-  • 


*C^ 


A   BUDDHIST  MONASTERY.  289 


To  give  any  adequate  description  of  the  hour's 
service  is  impossible.  Let  the  reader  try  to  exer- 
cise his  imagination  and  to  conceive  the  spectacle 
of  a  hundred  shaven-headed  Chinamen  in  yellow 
robes,  standing  in  two  groups  of  fifty,  separated 
by  the  low  altar,  with  closed  eyes  and  clasped 
hands,  chanting  monotonously,  sometimes  rapidly 
and  sometimes  slovvly;  the  abbot  in  a  red  robe 
prostrate  before  the  altar,  while  six  acolytes,  three 
on  each  side  of  him,  are  beating  time  to  the  mu- 
sic, one  with  a  drum,  a  second  with  a  big  bell, 
and  a  third  with  a  very  small  bell,  giving  one 
blow  to  every  note  pronounced  by  themselves  and 
the  congregation,  whether  slow  or  rapid;  the  wor- 
shippers now  kneeling  and  now  standing,  now 
facing  one  another  and  now  turning  to  the  high 
altar,  the  whole  performance  closing  with  a  pro- 
cession between  the  kneeling-stools,  up  and  down 
and  round  and  round  the  temple,  while  they  chant 
the  word  "0-me-to"  ("Praise  to  Buddha")  pre- 
cisely one  thousand  times,  telling  off  the  number 
accurately  by  means  of  the  rosary  in  their  hands. 
If  you,  reader,  gifted  with  imagination,  can  call 
this  scene  before  your  mind,  and  the  surroundings 
of  gorgeous  decoration,  massive  gilt  idols,  candles 


290    ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

burning  on  the  altar,  and  the  heavy  smell  of  in- 
cense, you  will  have  an  approximate  idea  of  what 
are  the  externals  of  Buddhistic  worship  in  their 
most  complete  form  in  China  at  the  present 
day. 

That  which  strikes  a  visitor  most  is  the  mar- 
vellous resemblance  between  the  whole  of  it  and 
the  Romish  ceremony  called  the  Mass.  The 
high  altar  and  the  smaller  shrines;  the  gaudy 
colors,  lighted  candles,  and  smoking  incense; 
intoned  prayers  and  chants  in  "a  tongue  not 
understanded  of  the  people;"  the  shaven  celi- 
bates, the  acolytes  and  choristers;  the  officiating 
priest  in  embroidered  cope;  pictures  and  many 
images  (one  of  which,  Kwan-im,  is  surprisingly 
like  the  Romish  statues  of  the  Virgin  carrying 
the  infant  Jesus);  the  constant  genuflections,  the 
tinkling  of  a  bell  as  the  signal  for  prostration, 
the  sprinkling  of  holy  water,  the  elevation  and 
sacrifice  of  holy  rice;  the  procession  and  long-con- 
tinued ejaculation  of  "Praise  to  Buddha"  (resem- 
bling the  "Hail  Mary  !")  the  use  of  strings  of  beads 
to  reckon  the  repetitions,  all  of  these  recall  most 
vividly  the  services  of  the  Roman  Church,  and 
confirm  the  conviction  that  Romanism  is  not  so 
fnuch  Christianity  degenerated  towards  paganism, 
but  rather  paganism  only  slightly  Christiani/.ed, 
Romanism  and  Ritualism  are  only  the  working 


A    BUDDHIST   MONASTERY.  291 

out  in  the  forms  of  worshijo  of  the  paganism  that 
lies  latent  in  every  human  heart. 

And  if  we  add  to  the  twenty-two  resemblances 
mentioned  above  some  seventeen  other  points''  of 
similarity  between  Romanism  and  Buddhism  that 
strike  every  student  of  them  both,  we  shall  only 
strengthen  that  impression.  Vows  of  celibacy  in 
both  sexes,  nunneries  under  the  patronage  of 
"Our  Lady,"  statues  of  the  Goddess  of  Mercy, 
the  "Hearer  of  Cries,"  called  also  the  "Holy 
Mother,"  and  the  "Queen  of  Heaven,"  bearing 
the  child  in  her  arms;*  the  taking  of  a  new  name 
on  entering  the  convent;  the  shaving  of  the  head 
corresponding  with  the  tonsure  {dsniidatio  capitis 
rcvclatio  mentis)  ;  a  special  monastic  dress,  fast- 
ing, forbidden  meats,  masses  for  the  dead,  the 
doctrine  of  purgatory,  the  power  of  the  priests  to 
deliver  souls  from  purgatory  in  consideration  of  a 
cash  payment,  the  canonization  of  saints,  the 
pretended  performance  of  miracles,  the  worship 
of  relics,  and  the  belief  in  justification  by  works, 
tliese  various  points  of  ritual  and  credulity  pre- 
sent so  many  coincidences  that  practically  the  re- 
semblance between  the  two  religions  is  complete. 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  French  missionary 

'■  In  a  Romish  chapel  at  Foochow  there  is  a  large  white  earth- 
enware staute  of  Kwan-im  vised  to  represent  the  Virgin  and 
Cliild.  I  fancied  the  priest  seemed  uncomfortable  as  we  looked 
at  the  imposture. 


292     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

Premare  wrote  from  China  to  the  Pope  that  "  the 
devil  had  mimicked  Holy  Mother  Church  in  or- 
der to  scandalize  her,"  or  that  Abbe  Hue,  the 
slave  of  his  unhappy  superstition,  says  of  Buddh- 
ism that  "it  has  an  admixture  of  truth  with 
Holy  Church  "?  Premare  ascribed  these  lamenta- 
ble errors  to  the  devil,  and  so  do  we;  but  he 
thought  the  devil  was  mimicking  the  Romish 
Church,  whereas  the  case  was  precisely  the  op- 
posite. 

Service  over,  we  adjourned  to  the  refectory  to 
see  the  brethren  demolish  the  vast  piles  of  rice 
and  vegetables;  and  then,  amid  the  dim  shadows 
of  the  evening  and  through  the  melancholy  pine 
forest,  we  ran  down  the  hillside  and  made  our 
way  with  some  little  difficulty  along  the  narrow 
mud  banks  between  the  paddy-fields  to  our  boat. 


CREMATION   OF  A   BUDDHIST   PRIEST.      293 

CHAPTER  XI. 

CREMATION   OF   A   BUDDHIST   PRIEST. 

At  a  time  when  the  question  of  bnrning  in- 
stead of  burying  the  dead  is  being  discussed  a 
good  deal,  it  may  be  interesting  to  know  that  it 
has  been  the  custom  of  the  Chinese  Buddhists  for 
many  centuries  to  cremate  their  priests  and  monks 
who  have  "gone  away,"  as  they  delicately  put 
it. 

On  the  occasion  of  visiting  the  Kushan  mon- 
astery described  in  the  last  chapter,  as  we  were 
climbing  the  steep  hill  we  noticed  ahead  of  us  a 
procession  of  unusual  appearance;  and  learning 
that  the  dead  body  of  a  priest  was  about  to  be 
cremated,  we  kept  a  short  distance  behind  the 
procession  in  order  to  witness  the  whole  of  the 
ceremony  as  far  as  might  be  possible.  The  shape 
of  the  coffin  puzzled  us  very  much,  for  instead  of 
being  long  and  shallow  it  was  short  and  deep. 
We  found  the  explanation  of  this  to  be  that  the 
corpse  was  in  a  sitting  posture  in  its  short  box. 
Four  men  carried  it  on  their  shoulders,  as  though 
it  were  a  sedan-chair.  The  whole  of  the  cof- 
fin and  poles  was  covered  with  a  beautiful  pall, 


294     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

tlie  groundwork  of  which  was  scarlet  worked  with 
figuring  in  blue,  silver,  and  gold.  In  front  walked 
a  man  who  at  short  intervals  scattered  on  the 
ground  pieces  of  paper  in  imitation  of  Chinese 
cash.  These  were  round,  about  two  and  a  half 
inches  in  diameter,  with  a  square  hole  in  the  cen- 
tre, and  in  color  white  and  yellow,  as  represent- 
ing silver  and  gold.  This  paper  is  called  "buy- 
the-road  paper,"  and  is  intended  to  purchase  the 
right  of  way  from  the  spirit-world  for  the  spirit 
of  the  dead.  As  the  doctrine  is  one  of  vanity  and 
lies,  it  is  but  natural  and  appropriate  that  false 
money  should  be  used  to  deceive  the  spirits. 

When  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  below  the 
monastery  the  procession  halted  upon  a  level 
piece  of  ground  where  a  path  turned  off  and  down 
to  the  right.  The  coffin  was  put  on  the  ground 
and  the  bearers  and  priests  amused  themselves  by 
lolling  about,  laughing  and  chatting.  Several 
came  forward  and  engaged  in  conversation  with 
us.  They  were  kind  enough  to  explain  a  few 
details  of  the  funeral  whose  purpose  and  meaning 
had  escaped  us.  One  young  man  was  very  much 
interested  in  a  common  lead-pencil  with  metal 
head  with  which  I  was  making  notes.  He  was  as 
pleased  as  a  child  when  it  was  presented  to  him. 

Presently  the  fraternity,  to  the  number  of  a 
hundred  and  ten,  sauntered  towards  us  at  a  lei- 


CREMATION    OF   A    BUDDHIST   PRIEST.      295 

surely  pace.  All,  of  course,  were  closely  shaven, 
with  one  exception,  and  for  mourning  wore  a 
long  robe  of  lavender  color,  with  a  yellow  shawl 
or  hood  thrown  loosely  over  the  back,  passing 
under  the  right  arm  and  fastened  with  a  buckle 
upon  the  left  shoulder.  The  yellow  hood  is  worn 
only  at  religious  services.  Some  of  the  number 
were  conspicuously  silent  and  apparently  indiffer- 
ent to  the  solemn  event  at  which  they  were  assist- 
ing, while  a  few  were  as  conspicuously  reverent, 
muttering  prayers.  Bowing  low,  they  saluted 
one  another  as  they  arrived  with  the  cry,  "O-me- 
to,"  which,  as  we  observed,  means  "Praise  to 
Buddha,"  but  in  this  connection  would  seem 
rather  to  imply,  "  Peace  be  with  you"  (Ping-an), 
the  salutation  of  Christians  in  China  when  they 
meet  or  part. 

The  officiating  priest,  dressed  in  a  reddish- 
purple  robe  like  that  of  the  abbot,  having  arrived, 
we  strolled  down  in  the  easy-going  manner  of  the 
monks,  without  a  procession  being  formed,  to  the 
cremation  ground,  which  was  distant  only  a  hun- 
dred yards  or  so.  It  is  in  a  wild  spot.  The  plat- 
form on  which  we  stood  had  been  made  by  dig- 
ging at  the  steep  face  of  the  hill  and  levelling  the 
rocks  and  earth  so  dislodged.  On  one  side,  in  the 
direction  of  the  monastery,  the  hill  rose  abruptly 
to  a  heifrht  of  more  than  a  thousand  feet.     All 


296     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

around  the  platform  was  a  fringe  of  fir-trees,  while 
its  outer  edge  looked  deep  down  into  a  gloomy 
dell,  and  one  could  not  help  feeling  that  seven- 
teen hundred  feet  lower  down,  though  hidden  by 
the  trees,  there  was  the  valley  and  the  river 
Min.  During  the  ceremony  the  wind  soughed 
and  wailed  through  the  wood  in  harmony  with 
the  weird  scene  of  the  burning  corpse  surround- 
ed by  the  curious-looking  monks. 

It  is  a  strange  sight,  never  to  be  forgotten,  to 
see  these  hundred  and  ten  men,  who  have  bidden 
farewell  to  the  world  and  all  human  relationship 
and  perched  themselves  in  a  cloister  like  a  huge 
bird's  nest  high  up  among  the  hills,  meet  to  bid 
farewell  to  one  of  their  own  brotherhood  among 
these  desolate  woods.  And  they  are  such  a  va- 
ried company.  Surely  never  had  monastery 
representatives  of  more  types  of  character  than 
we  find  gathered  here.  There  stands  a  mild,  blue- 
eyed,  handsome  youth  with  cheerful,  intelligent 
features,  who  seems  quite  out  of  place  in  such 
companionship;  for  next  him  is  a  creature  more 
brute  than  man,  with  bull  neck,  heavy  lips,  low 
forehead,  and  a  perpetual  scowl— "Punch's"  type 
of  the  professional  burglar  or  prize-fighter,  Bill 
Sikes  moulded  to  the  life.  There  again  is  an- 
other youth  of  intellectual  aspect,  whose  sad  face 
vividly  recalls  Dore's  picture  of  the  "  Neophyte;" 


CREMATION   OF   A   BUDDHIST   PRIEST.       297 

and  near  him  a  tall  man  with  firm  lips  and  deep- 
set  eyes,  betokening  a  strong  will  and  earnest 
thought,  who,  though  a  graduate  of  high  degree, 
has  fled  from  his  home  and  left  the  shame  of  his 
wife  behind  him  to  nurse  his  bitter  sorrow  apart 
from  the  gaze  of  the  world.  At  his  side  a  man 
who  has  almost  completed  his  century  of  life, 
bent  down  with  years,  allowed  to  wear  long  hair 
and  beard  because  the  monkish  habit  of  being 
shaved  is  a  burden  to  him,  totters  along  with  fee- 
ble steps,  looking  as  though  he  were  a  biped 
brought  out  of  the  Buddhist  menagerie.  For  the 
rest,  though  of  many  types,  they  have  for  the 
most  part  the  hard,  unreligious,  careless,  unthink- 
ing, and  even  despairing  faces  of  men  who  seem 
to  have  bidden  farewell  to  every  human  interest, 
not  for  this  world  only,  but  also  for  the  next.  It 
is  a  group  of  faces  strange  enough  to  haunt  one's 
dreams. 

The  cremation  furnace  is  a  narrow  brick  con- 
struction let  into  the  side  of  the  hill  from  whence 
the  earth  had  been  dug  to  form  the  platform  on 
which  we  stood.  It  looked  like  a  very  little  house 
with  a  very  large  door.  For  some  reason  which  I 
could  not  discover  the  coffin  was  not  put  into  the 
furnace,  but  stood  about  eight  feet  in  front  of  it. 
The  monks  arranged  themselves  in  lines  opposite 
to  it.     Cash  paper  was  again  sprinkled  round  to 


298      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

make  all  right  with  the  spirit-world,  and  incense- 
sticks  were  burned  at  a  small  shrine  that  half 
faced  the  furnace.  Then  the  service  commenced. 
The  officiating  priest  took  his  stand  in  front  of  the 
coffin,  and  was  supported  on  each  side  by  acolytes 
and  singers.  Bells  tinkled,  gongs  resounded,  and 
a  monotonous  but  sweet  chant  was  sung.  The 
whole  company  prostrated  themselves  several 
times  to  worship  the  spirit  of  the  departed  man. 
The  pall  was  then  removed,  and  there  was  re- 
vealed a  box  like  a  section  of  the  funnel  of  a 
steamship,  five  feet  in  height  and  two  in  diame- 
ter, tarred  profusely  within  and  without.  The 
singing  and  bell-ringing  and  gong-beating  having 
ceased  while  the  pall  was  taken  away,  the  solem- 
nity of  silence  fell  on  this  part  of  the  proceed- 
ings. The  monks  then  rose  from  the  ground, 
where  they  lay  on  knees  and  elbows,  closed  their 
eyes,  placed  their  hands  as  in  prayer,  with  the 
tips  of  the  fingers  touching,  and  recommenced 
singing.  The  words  are  still  Sanscrit,  and  the 
singers  have  no  idea  what  the  meaning  is,  but 
they  believe  there  is  great  merit  in  the  use  of  the 
sounds.  The  chant  is  still  a  monotone  and  very 
rapid.     One  note  repeated 

Presto. 


CREMATION   OF   A    BUDDHIST   PRIEST.       299 

at  an  even  pace  nine  times,  varied  with  grace 
notes  ot  every  tenth  beat,  did  not  give  one  a  very- 
high  opinion  of  the  musical  talent  of  Buddhist 
priests;  but  being  sung  in  the  open  air  and  mel- 
lowed by  the  sighing  of  the  wind  through  the 
pine-trees,  it  was  far  from  disagreeable.  Even 
the  sweetest  song,  however,  will  satiate  the  ear 
if  continued  too  long,  and  so  we  found  after  this 
one  had  been  tum-tummed  by  a  hundred  monks 
for  more  than  fifteen  minutes. 

After  that  space  of  time  the  sexton  came  for- 
ward with  a  hatchet  and  knocked  off  the  round 
lid  of  the  coffin,  and  those  in  a  favorable  position 
could  see  the  corpse  sitting  upright  in  its  narrow 
tabernacle.  A  bamboo  pole  about  fifteen  feet 
long  was  then  brought  and  a  quantity  of  long 
thin  strips  of  pine  wood  bound  round  one  end, 
until  it  looked  like  a  gigantic  garden-broom. 

Setting  fire  to  this,  the  sexton  presented  the 
monstrous  torch  tcJ  the  priest  conducting  the  ser- 
vice. All  again  prostrated  themselves,  and  the 
torch  was  waved  a  few  times  before  the  coflSn  and 
returned  to  the  sexton,  who  dropped  the  blazing 
mass  into  the  coffin  and  heaped  dry  pieces  of  pine 
wood  upon  it.  Through  a  hole  near  the  bottom 
of  the  box  a  strong  draught  fanned  the  flames, 
and  in  a  few  moments  a  great  blaze  was  issuing 
from  it  with  considerable  noise.     The  coffin  must 


300     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

have  been  of  very  solid  materials,  for  although  the 
heat  was  so  great  that,  except  when  the  wind  blew 
the  flames  and  heated  air  aside,  we  could  not  ven- 
ture close  to  see  how  the  body  was  being  burned, 
it  was  not  so  consumed  as  to  fall  to  pieces  and  ex- 
pose the  charred  corpse. 

From  beginning  to  end  there  was  nothing 
whatever  that  could  be  called  disagreeable  about 
the  performance.  It  is  true  we  saw  the  blackened 
body  sitting  in  the  flames,  but  it  was  because  we 
went  to  see  it.  The  monks,  too,  could  not  resist 
the  feeling  of  curiosity  concerning  the  fate  of  the 
fleshly  tabernacle  of  their  late  comrade,  and  a  few 
of  them  mounted  on  the  hillside  to  look  down  into 
the  flames.  But  still  I  think  the  most  sensitive 
nature  would  have  seen  nothing  in  the  whole 
ceremony  of  cremation  with  which  to  be  in  any 
degree  offended. 

The  service  occupied  about  half  an  hour  and 
the  burning  ten  minutes.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
the  flames  had  sunk  down  and  it  was  evident  they 
had  done  their  work.  Those  of  the  monks  who 
had  waited  to  witness  the  cremation  strolled  away 
in  the  same  leisurely  fashion  as  they  came  and 
joined  the  rest  of  the  fraternity,  who  were  waiting 
for  them  at  the  junction  of  the  roads.  The  under- 
taker, as  we  should  call  him,  was  here  paying 
each  monk  for  the  trouble  of  attending  and  assist- 


CREMATION    OP    A    BUDDHIST    PRIKST,       3OI 

ing  witli  his  prayers.  Each  man  received  the  suin 
of  forty  cash — twopence  of  English  money.  The 
smalhiess  of  the  amount  may  seem  to  suggest  that 
the  whole  affair  is  very  inexpensive;  but  the  nu- 
merous items  of  expenditure  in  cremation  often 
reach  a  total  outlay  of  100,000  cash  (say  ^iS  Eng- 
lish), which  is  an  immense  sum  to  a  Chinaman. 

Later  in  the  day  we  returned  to  the  spot  to  see 
what  had  happened  to. the  cremated  monk.  The 
ashes  had  been  collected,  placed  in  an  earthen  jar, 
and  carried  to  a  neighboring  shed,  where  the  jar 
adorned  a  shelf  already  heavily  laden  with  monks 
who  had  previously  been  potted  in  the  same  way. 
We  visited  this  receptacle  for  the  ashes  of  Buddh- 
ist devotees,  and  were  amazed  to  find  it  a  most 
dilapidated  and  disreputable  hut,  about  five  and 
a  half  feet  high.  The  door  was  held  fast  by  an 
ingenious  combination  of  chips  of  wood  and  bro- 
ken tiles.  As  we  opened  it  we  had  to  be  careful 
that  it  did  not  fall  off  its  hinges.  The  interior 
was  as  dirty  as  any  Chinaman  could  desire  and 
almost  absolutely  without  order  or  arrangement. 
I  took  a  fancy  to  the  idea  of  cremation  until  I 
thought  of  myself  as  a  Kushan  monk  stowed 
away  in  a  twopenny  pot  in  a  broken-down  shed 
unfit  to  keep  pigs  in  and  without  so  much  as  a 
number   to  show  which  was  me!      It  spoils  my 

grammar  to  think  of  it ! 

18 


302     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE   MISSIONARY   AT  WORK. 

Many  good  people  in  England  have  an  idea 
that  the  missionary  is  always  preaching.  It  is  as 
incorrect  to  suppose  he  is  always  preaching  as 
that  he  disports  himself  in  broadcloth.  For,  first, 
he  could  not  do  it  if  he  would,  and,  secondly,  he 
would  not  do  it  if  he  could.  He  must  observe 
times  and  seasons  quite  as  much  in  a  heathen 
land  as  he  would  in  this  country,  in  order  to 
adapt  himself  to  the  hours  of  leisure  of  the  peo- 
ple; and  the  heat  of  the  weather  through  a  great 
part  of  the  year  makes  it  impossible  to  continue 
preaching  for  more  than  two  hours  at  most  in  the 
day.  But  by  the  side  of  the  impossibility  of  it 
must  be  placed  the  inutility  of  so  much  preaching 
to  the  heathen  by  the  foreign  missionary.  Ex- 
perience has  shown  that  the  practical  result  fol- 
lowing from  preaching  by  Europeans  is  so  ex- 
tremely small  that  many  missionaries  feel  it  to  be 
a  duty  to  expend  their  energies  in  some  other 
direction  than  in  preaching  to  a  crowd.  An 
American  gentleman  in  Canton  had  an  audience 
of  several  hundred  Chinese   every  day  for  nine- 


^   c-4_r    I  -I  (4 


THE   MISSIONARY   AT   WORK.  305 

teen  years,  but  lie  declared  he  had  never  heard  of 
one  convert  from  all  his  preaching  in  public.  An 
English  gentleman  in  Canton  told  the  writer 
that  he  had  preached  to  a  similar  audience  for 
twelve  years,  almost  without  omitting  a  day,  and 
he  too  said  he  could  not  point  to  one  convert  as 
the  result  of  such  sustained  efforts.  It  is  true  we 
must  not  speak  of  these  labors  as  wasted.  No 
doubt  a  foundation  has  been  laid  in  multitudes  of 
minds  for  the  fair  superstructure  of  a  pure  Chris- 
tian faith.  One  is  also  almost  tempted  to  add  that 
it  was  worth  while  that  these  devoted  brethren 
should  spend  their  strength  and  time  for  so  long 
in  order  to  prove  to  their  juniors  and  successors 
the  comparative  uselessness  of  such  methods  of 
evangelizing.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  it 
would  be  better  to  seek  out  privately  one  here 
and  another  there,  and  to  instruct  them  one  at  a 
time,  to  pray  with  and  for  them  singly,  than  to 
address  audiences  of  hundreds  of  heathen.  So 
well  is  this  now  being  recognized  that  there  are 
many  missionaries  who  scarcely  ever  preach  to  the 
heathen  at  all.  A  few  here  and  there  who  great- 
ly love  talking  continue  to  do  so,  but  for  the 
most  part  the  "  messengers  of  the  churches"  de- 
vote themselves  to  the  building  up  of  the  congre- 
gations already  formed,  and  leave  the  aggressive 
evans:elistic  work  to  the  native  brethren.     The 


306     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

work  of  the  missionary  in  China  is  to-day  rather 
episcopal  and  professional  than  evangelistic.  He 
may  have  five,  ten,  or  twenty  churches  under  his 
episcopal  oversight.  To  visit  them  in  order  on 
the  Sabbaths,  to  look  after  the  evangelists  and 
pastors  in  charge,  to  examine  the  catechumens, 
to  attend  to  a  hundred  and  one  matters  of  business 
connected  with  these  young  churches,  and  on 
each  week-day  to  spend  a  few  hours  with  the 
students  in  training  for  the  ministry,  so  fills  up 
one's  time  as  to  leave  only  an  occasional  hour 
here  and  there  during  the  week  for  literary  work, 
in  writing  or  translating  in  the  native  tons^ue. 

A  man  who  loves  his  work,  however,  and  on 
whom  rests  the  burden  of  souls,  will  not  readily 
let  slip  an  opportunity  of  talking  of  Christ  to  the 
heathen.  The  banyan-tree  in  the  village  often 
makes  a  good  pulpit  as  well  as  a  seat,  and  a 
dozen  people  may  easily  be  induced  to  listen  for 
half  an  hour  to  the  one  theme  of  the  missionary. 
Inside  an  idol  temple  an  attentive  audience  can 
frequently  be  secured;  and  it  is  decidedly  exhila- 
rating to  preach  of  the  living  and  true  God  in 
the  presence  of  gods  of  mud  and  wood.  I  have 
often  read  of  missionaries  preaching  in  a  market- 
place, but  I  never  yet  saw  a  suitable  opportunity. 
"Market-place"  may  mean  in  other  lands  what 
it  does  not  in  China.     Standinsf  in  the  narrow 


THE   MISSIONARY   AT   WORK.  307 

space  with  one's  back  to  a  wall,  addressing  an 
excitable  crowd  of  men  brimming  over  with  curi- 
osity, their  souls  steeped  in  thoughts  of  worldly 
gain,  and  a  perfect  Babel  of  cries,  shouts,  discus- 
sion, and  beating  of  gongs  and  bells  drowning  one's 
speech,  the  congregation  in  the  market-place  is 
seen  to  be  one  to  be  avoided  rather  than  sought. 
For  the  foreigner  it  is  peculiarly  undesirable.  The 
eyes,  not  tne  ears,  of  his  "hearers"  are  open. 
Scarcely  a  man  of  them  all  is  listening  to  a  word 
he  says.  The  hope  of  the  churches  is  rather  in 
its  Nicodemuses,  who  come  at  first  by  night,  but 
afterwards  defend  Christ  openly  before  the  rulers 
as  well  as  before  the  common  people. 

It  needs  sometimes  a  great  deal  of  discretion 
to  avoid  giving  needless  offence  in  speaking  of 
idolatry  and  superstition.  As  a  rule  there  are 
few  things  the  Chinaman  enjoys  more  than  to 
hear  fun  poked  at  his  gods.  As  the  preacher 
pictures  the  absurdity  of  idolatry,  his  audience 
laugh  till  they  hold  their  sides  and  shout,  "  It  is 
all  true."  "Then  why  do  you  worship  them ?" 
"  It  is  the  custom  of  our  ancestral  land,  teacher." 
But  it  is  not  always  safe  to  be  so  plain,  and  per- 
haps it  is  seldom  wise  to  be  humorous.  Satire 
may  create  bitterness  towards  the  preacher  and 
defeat  the  end  he  has  in  view. 

On  one  occasion  I  was  crossing:  some  hills  and 


308     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUII-KIEN. 

came  to  a  lonely  hut  by  the  side  of  the  path. 
There  was  a  stone  seat  near  the  door  on  which 
my  two  Chinese  companions  and  I  sat  down  to 
rest  a  while.  Hearing  voices  I  went  to  the  hut 
door,  and  saw  that  it  contained  two  persons,  a  man 
whose  head  was  being  shaved,  and  the  barber. 
After  greeting  I  went  in,  and  noticed  at  the  end 
of  the  room  a  large  heap  of  parts  of  idols — heads, 
legs,  and  arms  piled  together  without  order.  The 
sight  struck  me  as  most  ludicrous,  and  I  began  to 
say  to  the  barber,  whom  I  took  to  be  the  tenant  of 
the  house,  that  he  should  try  how  this  head  would 
look  on  that  body,  or  this  leg  by  the  side  of  that 
leg,  and  so  on.  I  also  asked  him  whether  he  had 
heard  the  proverb,  "In  three  generations  idol- 
makers  have  no  posterity."  The  barber,  a  jovial- 
looking  man,  joined  in  the  fun  till  the  head  of 
his  victim  seemed  to  be  endangered.  But  hap- 
pening to  look  the  latter  in  the  face,  I  saw  that 
his  eyes  were  flashing  fiercely,  his  teeth  were  set 
and  his  hands  clenched.  In  a  moment  I  saw  the 
mistake  I  had  made.  I  had  been  speaking  to  the 
wrong  man.  The  solitary  repairer  of  idols  was 
not  the  merry  barber,  but  the  morose  and  passion- 
ate man  sitting  on  the  box.  I  did  my  best  to 
apologize,  but  he  treated  me  very  coldly  when 
three  days  after  I  tried  to  speak  to  him  more 
soberly  on  the  same  theme. 


THE    MISSIONARY   AT   WORK.  309 

Preaching  to  the  heathen  inside  a  chapel  is 
very  different  from  preachin<^  in  the  open  air.  It  is 
necessary  to  plunge  at  once  in  vudias  res.  There 
must  be  no  singing,  for  the  heathen  cannot  join  in 
it  and  do  not  understand  the  aim  of  it;  and  there 
must  be  no  prayer,  for  the  heathen  have  a  very 
grewsome  fear  of  Christian  prayers  and  will  some- 
times precipitately  leave  the  building.  As  a  rule, 
the  smaller  the  audience  the  more  useful  the 
preaching.  With  a  small  number  it  is  much 
easier  to  converse  freely,  to  ask  questions  and  ob- 
tain replies. 

A  very  general  method  of  arranging  a  daily 
preaching  service  is  to  place  a  chair  upon  a  small 
platform  a  few  paces  from  the  door.  A  gong  is 
then  struck  to  call  passers-by  to  come  in.  Some 
missionaries  continue  the  objectionable  practice  of 
singing  a  hymn  to  attract  an  audience.  Present- 
ly two  or  three  very  much  astonished  men  come 
to  the  door  and  look  round.  They  are  invited  to 
be  seated  and  informed  that  the  doctrine  is  about 
to  be  spoken.  The  preaching  begins  then  and 
there  with  the  conversation  with  the  first  comers. 
Others  come  in  after  a  time.  The  congregation 
is  a  movable  one,  and  will  prove  very  much  so 
indeed  imless  the  preacher  asks  a  few  questions 
and  creates  a  discussion.  Dearly  does  the  China- 
man love  an  argument,  and   perhaps  better  still 


3IO     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

does  he  love  to  hear  one,  and  to  be  allowed  to 
thrust  in  a  word  now  and  then  without  commit- 
tino-  himself.  A  good-humored,  temperate  con- 
versation is  the  best  style  of  preaching  to  such  an 
audience. 

The  position  of  the  pulpit  and  the  arrange- 
ments of  the  seats  in  a  Christian  chapel  are  what 
strike  the  attention  of  a  stranger  immediately  on 
entering.  In  many  places,  as,  for  instance,  the 
Amoy  and  Foochow  districts,  the  pulpit-platform 
stands  one-third  down  from  the  end  of  the  chapel 
opposite  the  door.  A  screen  of  wood  or  bamboo 
surrounds  it  on  three  sides  and  is  continued  from 
the  pulpit  to  the  walls  on  either  hand.  The 
screen  thus  shuts  off  one-third  of  the  chapel  from 
the  other  two-thirds.  The  smaller  space  behind 
the  preacher  is  devoted  to  the  women ;  the  larger 
space  in  front  is  occupied  by  men  only.  In  Can- 
ton a  screen  six  feet  high  is  placed  along  the  mid- 
dle of  the  chapel,  so  that,  while  the  preacher  faces 
all,  the  sexes  are  completely  separated.  In  Shang- 
hai, Ningpo,  and  many  northerly  places  no  such 
arrangement  is  necessary.  The  two  sexes  only 
occupy  different  sides  of  the  chapel.  The  loca- 
tion of  the  women  behind  the  pulpit  is  the  least 
satisfactory  of  all.  It  is  not  possible  to  retain  their 
attention  as  readily  as  if  they  were  in  view  of  the 
preacher,  and  they  think  themselves  at  liberty  to 


THE    MISSIONARY   AT   WORK.  311 

be  as  inattentive  as  they  please  because  they  are 
not  seen  by  the  general  congregation.  They  talk 
to  one  another  and  to  their  babies  to  a  degree  that 
is  perfectly  distracting  to  the  minister.  Half  a 
dozen  times  in  the  course  of  a  sermon  the  writer 
has  been  obliged  to  turn  round  and  say  in  various 
tones  of  entreaty  or  command,  "Women,  be  si- 
lent; do  not  talk,  but  listen  to  the  doctrine." 

This  separation  of  the  sexes  in  the  chapels  is 
very  necessary.  It  is  intended  to  disarm  die  cal- 
umnious reports  of  the  enemy.  Methods  of  pre- 
venting the  circulation  of  malicious  statements  by 
the  heathen  vary  according  to  localities.  In  the 
north  and  extreme  south  the  doors  are  shut  at  the 
Lord's  Supper,  and  in  many  cases  at  the  ordinary 
services.  In  the  Fuh-kien  province,  as  a  rule, 
such  a  plan  would  be  generally  dangerous  and  al- 
ways undesirable.  All  sorts  of  disgraceful  rumors 
would  be  set  afloat.  To  obviate  this  difficulty 
some  of  the  chapels  have  barred  windows  without 
glass  by  the  side  of  the  entrance-door,  so  that  even 
when  the  door  is  closed  against  all  but  communi- 
cants it  is  still  possible  for  the  outside  public  to 
observe  what  is  going  on.  It  is  impossible  to  be 
too  careful  to  forestall  suspicions.  In  catechising 
a  woman  in  the  presence  of  the  whole  assembly  it 
is  just  as  well  to  call  up  the  senior  deacon  to  put 
the  questions  and  to  receive  her  replies.    There  is 


312      ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

not  a  creature  more  fond  of  a  bit  of  scandal  than 
the  Chinaman,  except  the  Chinawoman. 

In  some  respects  the  behavior  of  the  native 
brethren  in  their  own  places  of  worship  would 
strike  one  accustomed  to  the  staid  propriety  of  our 
own  assemblies  as  rather  too  free  and  easy.  It  re- 
sults largely  from  the  fact  that  most  of  the  chap- 
els have  no  schoolroom  or  extensive  waiting- 
room.  The  congregations  come  together  from 
miles  around  and  spend  the  day  at  the  chapel. 
Consequently,  if  there  is  no  waiting-room  attached 
to  the  building,  the  mid-day  rice  must  be  eaten  in 
the  chapel — no  great  offence,  as  some  of  us  think 
who  believe  that  the  house  of  prayer  was  made 
for  man  and  not  man  for  the  house  of  prayer. 

But  at  the  services  the  people  sometimes  be- 
have in  the  oddest  way.  In  the  middle  of  the 
sermon  a  man  will  rise  to  his  feet  most  leisurely, 
stretch  out  his  arms,  give  a  long  and  loud  yawn, 
and  sit  down  again  with  a  look  of  quiet  satisfac- 
tion, and  not  one  of  the  congregation  will  so 
much  as  smile.  Or  another  may  desire  to  scratch 
himself  elaborately,  perhaps  even  to  search  for  the 
cause  of  irritation,  and  he  will  do  so  very  obvious- 
ly. We  have  seen  men  get  up  during  service,  go 
to  the  waiting-room,  strike  flint  and  steel,  light  a 
pipe,  and  after  an  absence  of  three  or  four  minutes 
return  to  their  place  as  though  nothing  had  hap- 


J 


THE   MISSIONARY  AT  WORK.  313 

peiicd.  More  curious  tliau  all  may  seem  the  fact 
that  the  writer,  beiiij^  admitted  as  a  guest  to  a 
meeting  of  some  eighty  church  members,  found 
them  almost  all  smoking  during  the  discussions 
and  addresses.  When  the  missionary  said,  "Let 
us  kneel  down  to  pray  to  our  Heavenly  Father," 
they  knocked  the  ashes  out  of  their  pipes,  and 
when  they  rose  from  prayer  many  of  them  imme- 
diately relit  their  pipes.  This  must  not  be  put 
down  to  irreverence,  but  to  simplicity.  They 
would  see  no  more  harm  in  yawning  than  in 
coughing,  no  more  disrespect  in  having  a  pipe 
than  in  drinking  a  cup  of  tea  within  the  walls  of 
a  church. 

So  far  from  their  intending  to  show  any  lack 
of  respect  to  the  building  in  which  they  worship 
God,  they  are  rather  jealous  of  its  honor.  A  con- 
siderable debate  took  place  in  the  principal  Con- 
gregational church  of  Amoy,  some  years  ago,  be- 
cause rubbish  and  drainage  were  carried  through 
the  building  from  a  house  at  the  back.  It  was 
regarded  as  a  serious  affront  to  the  house  of  God. 
In  the  same  chapel  I  once  saw  a  curious  thing 
done.  While  I  was  preaching  a  stranger  came  in 
with  his  queue  coiled  round  his  head  in  coolie 
fashion.  In  his  amazement  at  seeing  a  foreigner 
talking  he  strolled  half  up  the  aisle.  One  of  the 
deacons  sitting  facing  the  congregation  precipi- 


3^4     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

tately  darted  down  the  aisle  and  struck  the  man's 
queue  off  his  head.  The  stranger's  astonishment 
was  a  sight  to  see.  From  the  Chinese  point  of 
view  he  had  been  guilty  of  great  lack  of  courtesy; 
for  Chinese  manners  demand  that  a  coolie  shall 
let  his  queue  down  on  entering  the  presence  of 
the  idols  or  on  speaking  to  his  superiors;  and  in 
like  manner  he  should  have  uncoiled  it  on  enter- 
ing a  Christian  place  of  worship. 

The  number  of  persons  who  enter  during  ser- 
vice with  no  other  object  than  to  look  on  for  a 
while  is  something  of  a  distraction  to  both  minis- 
ter and  congregation.  The  singing  of  a  hymn 
will  bring  them  in  considerable  numbers.  They 
remain  a  few  moments  and  gradually  thin  off. 
Some  of  the  more  curious  make  their  way  almost 
to  the  pulpit.  The  deacons  thereupon  request 
them  to  be  seated  or  to  retire  to  the  back. 

Very  many  of  these  occasional  visitors  are  in- 
terested in  Christianity,  and  they  especially  need 
to  be  dealt  with  courteously  and  kindly.  As  an 
illustration  of  this  fact,  and  of  the  strange  inter- 
ruptions to  which  a  religious  service  in  China  is 
liable,  I  will  relate  an  incident  that  occurred  at 
one  of  our  country  chapels  situated  in  a  very  lone- 
ly place  under  a  group  of  banyan-trees  by  the  side 
of  an  important  highway.  During  sermon  a  se- 
dan-chair stopped  at  the  door  and  a  gentleman 


THE    MISSIONARY   AT   WORK.  315 

about  fifty-five  years  of  age  descended,  came  to 
the  door  of  the  chapel,  walked  up  to  my  side,  and 
stood  listening  for  perhaps  five  minutes  or  so. 
Then  he  began  to  mutter  words  of  approval,  and 
when  I  ceased  shortly  afterwards  he  said,  "Good, 
good;  may  I  say  a  few  words?"  Whatever  he 
might  say,  I  was  sure  it  could  do  no  one  any 
harm  and  might  do  good,  so  I  told  him  we  should 
be  happy  to  hear  him.  He  then  gave  an  address 
of  perhaps  seven  minutes'  duration,  the  burden  of 
which  was  that  we  foreigners  were  in  the  right; 
there  was  no  other  God  except  the  "Lord  of 
heaven,"  and  no  hope  of  our  souls  continuing  to 
live  except  by  the  favor  of  the  "saving  Lord." 
He  urged  the  congregation  to  be  faithful  in  their 
attachment  to  the  "Lord  of  heaven."  We 
thanked  him  for  his  words,  sang  a  hymn,  to 
which  he  listened,  but  when  I  opened  my  eyes 
after  the  benediction  he  was  gone  and  his  chair 
too.  We  ran  to  the  door,  but  the  chair  had 
turned  the  corner  and  we  saw  him  no  more. 
From  certain  modes  of  expression  we  guessed  he 
was  a  Cantonese  Roman-catholic;  but  his  brief 
visit  made  a  great  impression  on  the  little  assem- 
bly. 

There  are  doubtless  a  vast  number  of  persons 
who  are  not  tabulated  and  scheduled  as  Christians 
who  nevertheless,  by  the  grace  of  God,  "do  justly, 


3:6     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

love  mercy,  and  walk  humbly  with  their  God." 
Many  too  are  they  who  are  ' '  not  far  from  the 
kingdom  of  God."  They  are  met  with  occasion- 
ally by  Christian  teachers.  Their  hearts  seem  to 
have  been  strangely  prepared,  so  that  they  ' '  re- 
ceive with  meekness  the  engrafted  word."  There 
came,  one  day,  to  a  chapel  in  a  country  town  a 
middle-aged  man  named  Tong.  He  was  giving 
away  tracts  published  by  a  Buddhist  tract  society. 
The  particular  kind  that  he  had  in  his  hand  at 
the  moment  was  a  yellow  leaflet  wuth  fourteen 
sentences,  exhorting  men  to  righteousness  of  life. 
From  the  Christian  point  of  view  the  only  fault 
of  the  tract  was  in  what  it  lacked,  not  in  what  it 
contained.  The  preacher  in  charge  was  Sok-tai, 
a  man  who  for  thirty  years  has  preached  the  gos- 
pel faithfully  in  the  Amoy  region  in  connection 
with  the  London  Missionary  Society.  Said  Sok- 
tai,  "What  is  this?"  "It  tells  of  the  will  of 
heaven."  "Why  do  you  give  these  away?" 
"I  am  heaping  up  merit."  "Come  and  sit 
down  and  drink  some  tea,  and  I  will  tell  }ou 
how  to  win  merit  in  the  sight  of  heaven."  Sok- 
tai  expounded  the  Christian  faith  to  him,  and  the 
Buddhist  Tong  accepted  the  truth  as  a  little  child 
and  was  soon  baptized. 

1  met  with  another  similar  case,   if  possible 
still  more  striking.       At  a  village  about  thirty 


THE    MISSIONARY   AT   WORK.  317 

miles  from  Amoy  I  had  arranged  to  expound 
Christian  doctrine  in  a  set  form  every  evening 
for  a  week.  On  the  Monday  morning  I  had  vis- 
ited some  villages  round  to  invite  people  to  come, 
and  in  the  afternoon  was  sitting  at  the  door  of  the 
chapel  when  a  man  named  Chew  happened  to 
pass  by.  I  knew  the  man  by  sight  and  had  heard 
a  good  deal  about  him.  The  neighbors  said  he 
never  sinned  at  all.  They  had  been  known  to 
object  to  the  teaching  of  the  preacher  in  charge, 
who  held  that  all  men  were  sinners,  and  they  in- 
stanced Mr.  Chew.  I  called  to  him,  "Chew,  my 
elder  brother,  have  you  leisure?"  "Yes,  I  have 
leisure,  teacher."  "Come  and  sit  down,  and  let 
us  talk."  Wishing  to  disarm  his  opposition  to 
Christianity  I  began  on  other  topics.  We  talked 
of  Western  countries,  the  bigness  of  London,  the 
Crystal  Palace,  the  underground  railway,  the 
quantity  of  coal  in  China,  the  phases  of  the  moon, 
comets,  and  eclipses;  in  fact,  I  sought  to  excite 
the  man's  astonishment  and  awe  as  much  as  pos- 
sible. It  was  not  long  before  he  began  to  hold  up 
his  hands  in  wonder,  and  under  his  breath  I  heard 
him  mutter,  "Our  fathers  never  told  us  these 
things.  These  foreigners,  how  learned  !  Can  it 
be  so?"  I  begged  him  to  come  and  hear  greater 
things  than  these  at  the  evening  meeting.  We 
were  a  little  company  sitting  round  a  table  at  the 


3l8     ALONG    RIVER  AND   ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

door.  Chew  came  and  stood  on  the  door-step  and 
peeped  in  to  see  and  listen.  On  Tuesda}'  we  were 
in  the  same  place,  but  Chew  stood  inside.  On 
Wednesday  so  many  people  came  that  we  moved 
to  the  communion-table.  Chew  stood  in  the  dark 
near  the  door.  On  Thursday  he  came  farther  for- 
ward, on  Friday  nearer  still,  and  on  Saturday  he 
sat  at  my  right  hand.  The  next  day  he  attended 
both  services,  and  was  baptized  within  five  months 
afterwards.  The  neighbors  had  testified  to  his 
faultless  life,  and  the  simplicity  with  which  he  ac- 
cepted the  faith  proved  that  the  preparation  of  his 
heart  was  from  the  Lord. 

One  of  the  chief  difficulties  of  the  Christian 
missionary  in  dealing  with  a  people  like  the  Chi- 
nese is  that  they  have  no  consciousness  of  sin. 
Their  sages  have  told  them  that  all  men  have  a 
"good  heart,"  and  they  believe  it.  They  speak 
of  lying,  lust,  or  theft  as  though  these  were  mere 
failings  or  weaknesses,  not  as  offences  against  a 
just  and  holy  God.  There  is  no  doubt  that  many 
of  them  do  not  so  much  as  suppose  that  gross  sin 
stains  the  soul  at  all.  The  "good  heart"  re- 
mains good  notwithstanding  any  amount  of 
wrongf-doing:.  This  lack  of  the  sense  of  sin  ren- 
ders  them  quite  apathetic  in  regard  to  religion. 
They  are  willing  to  belong  to  any  or  all  faiths. 
In  Fuh-kien,  if  a  man  is  asked  to  what  faith  he 


THE   MISSIONARY   AT   WORK.  319 

belongs,  he  will  commonly  reply,  "Ju,  To,  Hut." 
That  is,  he  professes  to  belong  to  the  three  great 
sects,  the  Confucian,  the  Taouist,  and  the  Buddh- 
ist.      No  amount  of  casuistry  could  make  these 
creeds  agree  with  one  another,  but  the  easy-going, 
complacent   Chinaman   takes   them   over   in  the 
lump  as  the  national  creeds,  and  professes  loyalty 
to  all.     In  a  similar  spirit  they  readily  assent  to 
what  the  preacher  says.     A  novice  at  preaching 
is  constantly  delighted  with  the  degree  of  their 
approval  of  the  doctrine  and  his  manner  of  pre- 
senting it;  but  more  experience  reveals  the  fact 
that  attention    to  the   customary  courtesies   and 
disregard    of  real   personal   interest   in   religious 
questions  inspire  nine-tenths  of  the  praises  he  re- 
ceives.    And  in  the  same  spirit,  again,  not  a  few 
have  been  known  to  say  of  Jesus,  "We  have  no 
objection  to  him  you  call  Jesus.     He  is  your  chief 
Western  sage.     Every  country  has  its  sages.     Let 
us  reverence  Confucius,  and  do  you  reverence  Je- 
sus, and  let  us  be  brothers."     They  go  farther 
sometimes  and  add,  "We  are  willing  to  worship 
Jesus  if  it  is  worth  while.     Make  an  image  of  Je- 
sus and  put  him  by  the  side  of  our  gods.     W^e 
will  bow  down  to  him  as  we  do  to  them.     Doubt- 
less he  was  good."     The  sense  of  sin  and   the 
need  of  atonement  do  not  enter  into  their  concep- 
tion of  religion.       The    "good  heart"   and  the 

River  and  Road  in  China.  ^9 


320     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

"proprieties"  are  the  sum-total  of  all  that  is 
needed  in  man.  One  may  add  that  in  this  delu- 
sion they  are  no  farther  astray  than  certain  phi- 
losophers and  professed  admirers  of  Christ  among 
ourselves,  who  would  resolve  all  sin  into  a  breach 
of  good  taste  and  good-humor. 

Referring  to  the  conduct  of  divine  worship  in 
the  Chinese  chapels,  it  is  worth  while  to  refer  to  the 
hymnology  and  singing.  A  very  great  advance 
has  been  made  in  these  matters  during  the  last 
ten  years.  Every  mission  has  its  own  hymn- 
book,  or  has  united  with  some  sister  mission  in 
receiving  a  book  already  compiled.  Many  of 
these  are  very  elaborate  compilations,  and  not  a 
few  have  the  musical  score  printed  on  the  same 
page.  Of  necessity  the  earlier  hymns  are  com- 
pendiums  of  theology.  Christian  doctrine  has 
been  taught  as  much  by  the  hymns  as  by  the 
Bible.  When  the  book  is  not  too  large  the  whole 
of  it  is  soon  committed  to  memory  by  the  chil- 
dren of  Christian  schools,  and  even  by  the  un- 
educated adult  members  of  the  churches.  The 
singing,  however,  is  a  grief  to  the  aesthetic  ear. 
It  is  abundant  in  volume,  but  deficient  in  quality. 
Chinese  music  has  a  character  quite  its  own;  but 
what  forces  itself  most  upon  the  notice  of  the 
foreign  musician  is  their  avoidance  of  all  fourths 
and  sevenths,  and  the  singing  of  another  note  (gen- 


J 


THE    MISSIONARY   AT   WORK.  321 

erally  a  repetition  of  the  one  before  the  changed 
note)  instead  of  a  fourth  or  seventh.  In  intro- 
ducing new  tunes,  therefore,  it  is  desirable  that 
care  be  taken  to  select  tunes  with  no  fourths  or 
sevenths,  or  as  few  as  possible.  That  young 
persons  can  be  taught  to  sing  in  Western  fashion 
is  proved  by  the  success  attending  singing  classes 
in  schools.  An  adaptation  of  the  sol-fa  system 
was  used  with  great  success  by  the  late  Rev.  Dr. 
Carstairs  Douglas,  to  whose  earnest  efforts  is  large- 
ly due  the  fact  that  the  psalmody  in  Amoy  and 
neighborhood  is  said  to  be  incomparably  the  best 
in  China.  Some  trouble  ought  to  be  taken  to 
introduce  as  many  native  tunes,  or  adaptations 
of  them,  as  possible.  A  few  collected  by  the 
writer  became  great  favorites  with  his  Chinese 
friends.  The  use  of  them  is  in  some  cases  open 
to  the  objection  that  they  are  sung  in  idolatrous 
worship  and  in  bad  plays,  but  a  similar  objection 
was  taken  to  the  introduction  by  the  Wesle}-s  of 
more  cheerful  tunes  than  our  Puritan  ancestors 
indulged  in.  The  Christian  church  in  China  is 
going  to  be  Chinese  and  not  English  or  Ameri- 
can; and  the  more  completely  it  adapts  itself  to 
the  native  tastes  and  habits,  in  its  organization, 
its  church  buildings,  and  its  psalmody,  the  more 
will  its  life  and  energy  be  developed. 

While  upon  this  subject  it  may  not  be  unin- 


323     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

teresting  if  I  give  a  few  specimens  of  Chinese 
tunes.  In  travelling  about  the  country  I  made  a 
persistent  search  for  native  tunes  that  might  be 
adapted  in  some  way  to  the  necessities  of  hym- 
nology.  A  vast  number  of  melodies  may  be  col- 
lected as  mere  samples  of  Chinese  music,  but  my 
aim  was  only  to  utilize  native  airs  in  Christian 
worship.  Most  of  them  are  so  rapid  and  eccentric 
that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  trace  an  idea  of  any 
kind  in  them,  although  considerable  practice  in 
listening  does  eventually  reveal  a  subtle  thread  of 
thought  running  through  most  of  the  popular 
airs.  Merely  as  illustrations  of  the  kind  of  tunes 
one  hears  of  an  evening,  played  on  violin,  guitar, 
or  flageolet,  two  melodies  are  here  introduced. 
The  first  is  one  which  Barrow  calls  ' '  Moo-lee- 
wha,"  and  reports  as  "one  of  the  most  popular 
sones  in  the  whole  country." 


?ifr«? #-»";    I     *-[-» e~*  0^g-\ —»~W  "C-f— '— "1 


?if=i=^E3: 

— — 0 — #-•—/&- 


tatzjzi.— *r^T=l: 


'3*— 


-i^- 


THE   MISSIOXARY   AT   WORK. 


323 


A  native  preacher  who  had  often  assisted  me 
in  musical  matters  brought  me  the  next  tune, 
which  he  had  written  in  the  Chinese  adaptation 
of  the  sol-fa  notation.  He  was  at  the  time  resi- 
dent in  Changchow,  and  said  it  was  the  music  of 
one  of  the  best-known  songs  there. 

spirited. 


The  following  melody  was  the  only  one  I  ever 
heard  played  by  a  band.  The  mission  station  of 
Chioh-boe,  near  Amoy,  is  up  a  creek,  very  mud- 
dy and  empty  at  low  tide.  The  mission  boat 
lies  on  the  mud  and  must  needs  have  a  long  plank 
to  form  a  bridge  to  the  shore.  Houses  of  various 
descriptions  are  on  either  bank,  and  from  these 
the  sweet  strains  of  Chinese  music  are  frequently 
heard.  At  no  other  place  did  I  hear  music  so 
well  performed  as  in  this  wretched  little  town. 
One  Saturday  afternoon,  as  I  sat  in  the  boat,  a 
number  of  instruments  began  to  play  in  a  shed 
on  the  bank  farther  from  the  mission  boat.     At- 


324     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IX  FUH-KIEN. 


tracted  by  the  sound,  I  made  my  way  round  a  lit- 
tle distance  until  I  reached  the  shed,  and  saw  four 
gifted  musicians,  unwashed,  very  ragged,  sitting 
on  pails  turned  upside  down.  One  flageolet,  two 
violins,  and  a  guitar  were  the  instruments  with 
which  they  discoursed  as  follows: 

Andante. 


ilSp^iSg 


-25* a/ — *— # 


m 


m 


V^t 


^— *— #- 


^— <*— * 


A  colporter  at  Chinchew  sang  me  the  next 
tune,  saying  he  had  learned  it  from  a  man  who 
had  lived  in  Formosa,  and  who  in  his  turn  had 
heard  it  sung  by  the  Pepuhoan  or  aboriginal  sav- 
age race  that  occupies  the  eastern  side  of  For- 
mosa. They  were  reported  as  singing  it  very 
softly  and  with  much  feeling.  I  adapted  it  to  the 
Amoy  hymn  Lan  lang  si-mia"  bo  tia"-ti6h  (Our 
life  is  all  uncertain),  and  it  very  soon  became  an 
established  favorite  and  was  commonly  sung  at 
funerals. 


THE   MISSIONARY   AT  WORK. 


325 


Larsro. 


m 


d=± 


* — r 


-3^. 


-m ^ 


3^ 


3^j^ 


• ,- 


r1^: 


:zg -#_*: 


E: 


i^^3^^-=iE3E^^plJJ 


A  friend  in  Canton,  an  eminent  scholar  in 
Chinese,  gave  me  the  tnne  "Wong-ho"  which 
follows.  It  was  composed  as  an  illustration  of  the 
style  of  native  music  and  for  use  in  the  Christian 
chapels.  It  is  a  popular  sevens,  to  which  the 
hymn  "Let  us  with  a  gladsome  mind"  is  often 
sune. 


~^i 


^ 


"^ 


-rV 


^ — =4= ^>— - 


"^ ^- 


Lfi_: 


-k=-- 


b^ 


-Ki ig*- 


1^ 


The  next  tune  is  one  sung  all  over  Fuh-kien 
to  a  hymn  in  praise  of  ancestors.  It  is  in  three 
parts.     At  every  fourth  note  there  is  an  indefina- 


326     ALOXG    RIVKR  AND  ROAD  IX    FUH-KIEN. 


ble  pause  of  half  a  beat  or  so,  which  I  think  can 
best  be  expressed  by  a  staccato  pointing. 


First  Part. 


-t- 


^^1-^ 


ii 


' — t~f*' 


:E£1£3E±E^ 


Second  Part. 


m 


f0 


E=^-:^Q 


;s 


^-*- 


Third  Part. 


fei^^i 


s 


^ — ^ 


_._].. 


•  • — — ?^ 


1— +-*- 


•-• 


i 


As  a  proof  of  the  necessity  of  being  on  one's 
guard  against  tunes  sung  by  native  Christians  lest 
they  should  turn  out  to-  be  only  foreign  melodies 
tortured  into  a  Chinese  style,  I  will  give  an  air 
that  I  picked  up  from  a  baggage-bearer  in  the 
country  west  of  Foochow.  This  man  had  been 
in  Lhe  habit  of  frequenting  a  Christian  chapel  and 
was  fond  of  sino-ino-.      I  heard  him  often  sinj;  the 


I 


THE   MISSIONARY  AT  WORK. 


327 


tune  as  written,  and  I  put  it  down,  thinking  it 
treasure-trove.  The  man  himself  assured  me  it 
was  native  and  generally  familiar,  yet  it  proved 
to  be  only  an  American  air  that  had  almost  lost 
its  individuality  through  its  Chinese  dressing. 


The  study  of  Chinese  music  is  exceedingly  in- 
teresting, and  the  wonder  is  that  more  attention  is 
not  given  to  it.  Native  tunes  would  be  very  pop- 
ular in  Christian  services.  It  is  true  that  many 
of  them  immediately  suggest  songs  that  are  any- 
thing but  proper;  but  that  was  the  case  at  the 
time  that  Wesley  recovered  some  of  our  best  Eng- 
lish sacred  melodies  out  of  the  snares  of  the  devil 
and  Christianized  them.  After  a  short  time  they 
would  become  familiar  in  their  religious  form  and 
would  be  a  great  help  in  evangelizing.  The 
Christian  church  in  China  is  already  too  foreign 
in  its  outward  aspects,  and  anything  that  could 


3^8     ALONG  RIVKR  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

assimilate  it  with  good  native  sentiment  would  be 
an  advantage. 

There  are  very  few  Sunday-schools  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Chinese  churches.  In  the  boarding- 
schools  for  boys  and  girls  religious  instruction  is 
of  course  given  on  Sundays,  but  schools  conduct- 
ed like  our  own  Sunday-schools  are  very  rare. 
There  are  several  reasons  for  this.  Up  to  the 
present  time  it  has  been  difficult  to  find  a  sufh- 
cieut  number  of  intelligent  and  pious  men  at  lei- 
sure from  other  Christian  work  to  act  as  teachers; 
the  times  of  public  worship — from  nine  to  ten  in 
the  morning  and  half-past  one  to  three  in  the 
afternoon — make  it  anything  but  easy  to  arrange 
an  hour  for  the  children,  especially  when  the  con- 
ofreo^ation  comes  from  long:  distances  around,  and 
the  chapels  are  so  particularly  open  to  the  public 
that  a  school  for  children  would  be  very  much 
disturbed.  Under  these  circumstances  the  pastors 
lay  great  stress  upon  the  Sunday  afternoon  cate- 
chising of  the  children  after  public  service. 

It  should  be  added  that  another  hindrance  to 
school-teaching  is  the  fact  that  (in  the  Fuh-kien 
province  at  least)  so  few  children  have  mastered 
more  than  a  few  characters,  and  hardly  any  of  the 
men  from  the  country  districts  can  read  six  con- 
secutive characters.  Under  these  circumstances 
it  is  a  matter  for  confrratulation  that  the  mission- 


THE   MISSIONARY   AT   WORK.  339 

aries  in  Anioy,  Ningpo,  Shanghai,  and  many 
other  places  have  reduced  large  portions  of  the 
Bible  to  the  Roman  letter.  These  transcriptions 
are  called  Romanized  versions.  The  complete 
New  Testament,  the  Psalms  and  many  portions 
of  the  Old  Testament,  hymn-books,  the  "Pil- 
grim's Progress,"  catechisms,  school-books,  and 
a  variety  of  other  publications  have  long  been  in 
use  at  many  of  the  missionary  stations.  The  aim 
of  the  transcribers  at  first  was  to  help  the  women 
to  read  and  to  provide  an  easy  path  to  knowledge 
for  such  of  the  men  as  were  hopelessly  behind- 
hand in  education.  After  many  years'  experi- 
ence, however,  it  is  felt  by  those  who  have  fully 
tested  the  value  of  the  Romanized  versions  that 
they  are  extremely  useful,  not  only  to  the  unedu- 
cated adults,  but  to  all  classes.  These  books  are 
a  most  important  factor  in  the  mission  work.  A 
new  missionary  fresh  from  England  can,  with 
their  assistance,  readily  master  the  difficulties  of 
one  of  the  spoken  languages  in  from  eight  to 
twelve  months  so  as  to  make  himself  fairly  well 
understood  in  preaching.  The  women  in  the 
Bible-class  of  a  missionary's  wife  often  read  per- 
fectly in  six  months  at  the  rate  of  one  lesson  a 
week.  To  test  the  facility  of  learning  the  Ro- 
man letter,  I  taught  my  table-servant,  a  man  of 
only   average  capacity.      In   thirty-five   days  he 


330     AI^OXG    RIVRR   AND   ROAD   IN    FUH-KIKN. 

read  with  more  fluency  than  m}-self,  and  of  course 
with  greater  accuracy;  and  in  a  somewhat  longer 
time  he  learned  to  wTite  in  the  same  style.  The 
fact  that  persons  who  have  mastered  the  enor- 
mous difficulty  of  reading  and  writing  the  written 
language  of  China  despise  in  no  stinted  measure 
these  Romanized  versions  ought  not  to  deter  mis- 
sionaries from  printing  the  books  nor  the  native 
brethren  from  using  them.  One  soul  instructed 
outweighs  a  thousand  sneers.  That  it  is  not  a 
"respectable"  thing  to  read  Chinese  in  Roman 
letter,  as  some  good  brethren  assert,  is  a  very  car- 
nal objection.  The  foolish  things  of  the  world 
do  still,  as  of  old,  confound  the  wise;  and  the 
weak  things  and  things  that  are  despised  have 
still  a  knack,  as  in  Paul's  day,  of  giving  to  car- 
nal judgments  a  shock  of  surprise  by  their  evi- 
dent vitality  and  efficiency. 


OUR  CIIINP:SE  brethren  in   CHRIST.       331 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

OUR   CHINESE    BRETHREN    IN    CHRIST. 

Calling  upon  a  well-known  missionary  who 
was  about  to  return  to  his  station  in  China,  I 
asked  him  how  he  had  got  along  among  the 
churches  in  England  as  a  "missionary  deputa- 
tion," "  Pretty  comfortably,"  he  said,  "but  the 
churches  of  this  country  are  so  dead;  they  are  not 
like  our  Chinese  churches." 

The  pleasing  delusion  cherished  by  the  sup- 
porters of  foreign  missions  that  a  missionary  comes 
home  to  be  spiritually  refreshed  has  about  as  much 
justification  for  its  existence  as  that  he  comes  home 
to  rest.  As  for  the  latter,  by  the  end  of  his  fur- 
lough, if  he  is  an  acceptable  speaker,  he  sorely 
needs  the  rest  which  a  few  weeks'  voyage  by  sea 
may  possibly  give  him  on  his  return  journey. 
And  as  for  the  former,  there  are  few  missionaries 
but  would  agree  that  there  is  more  evidence  of 
spiritual  vitality  among  the  converts  gathered  in 
the  mission  churches  than  among  the  members  of 
churches  in  England.  Much  as  our  brethren 
abroad  may  lament  that  there  is  no  larger  meas- 
ure of  self-denial  and  active  zeal  in  their  own 


33^     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

churches,  comparison  with  average  English  con- 
gregations leaves  the  balance  of  satisfaction  on 
the  side  of  the  converts  from  heathenism. 

The  quality  of  the  converts  made  by  any  evan- 
gelistic agency  is  a  question  that  deserves  to  be 
examined  and  considered  with  great  care.  In  the 
following  remarks  it  should  be  understood  that  I 
speak  only  of  the  people  of  the  Fuh-kien  province 
of  China.  The  Chinese  nation  consists  of  many 
races,  which  have  retained  their  special  charac- 
teristics as  the  result  of  geographical  isolation;  or 
in  some  cases  the  same  original  race,  under  the 
influence  of  climatic  and  geographical  differences, 
have  developed  very  divergent  traits  of  character. 
The  native  of  Canton  is  a  foreigner  to  his  brother 
of  Amoy  not  only  in  language,  but  in  disposition; 
and  the  Ningpo  man  is  as  far  removed  from  a 
Foochowese  as  the  man  of  Kent  is  from  the  High- 
lander. It  is  not  therefore  to  be  expected  that, 
when  converted  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Christ,  all 
the  churches  would  be  of  a  similar  type  in  sim- 
plicity, spirituality,  and  zeal. 

One  of  the  best  tests  of  the  earnestness  of  the 
church  members  is  their  liberality  in  supporting 
the  ordinances  of  religion.  There  are  two  things 
that  make  this  a  fair  test:  first,  their  natural  love 
of  money;  and,  secondly,  the  small  sums  which 
they  are  accustomed  to  handle. 


OUR  CHINESE  BRETHREN   IN  CHRIST.      ^23 

It  is  charged  upon  ourselves,  particularly  by 
our  French  neighbors,  that  we  are  "a  nation  of 
shop-keepers,"  and  that  the  covetous  and  perfidi- 
ous Briton  would  sell  his  chance  of  heaven  for  a 
few  pounds  more  or  less.  It  must  be  confessed 
that  there  is  some  ground  for  calling  us  a  money- 
loving  people,  though  we  do  not  go  so  far  as  to 
worship  "the  almighty  dollar."  But  we  are  no- 
where in  point  of  greed  of  gain  when  compared 
with  the  Chinaman.  The  love  of  cas/i  is  truly  a 
root  of  all  kinds  of  evil.  The  endeavor  to  obtain 
it  absorbs  his  thought  and  energy.-  Nine-tenths 
of  all  the  conversation  that  takes  place  in  or  out 
of  doors  relates  more  or  less  directly  to  the  ever- 
lasting topic— cas/i.  If  a  long  file  of  men  are 
walking  along  a  narrow  path  through  the  fields, 
they  shout  to  one  another  their  cas/i  calculations. 
If  a  quarrel  is  going  on  in  a  house,  in  a  shop,  in 
the  field,  in  the  market,  you  know,  without  listen- 
ing that  the  subject  is  cas/i.  Surely  their  dreams 
must  be  principally  about  cas/i. 

The  cas/i  is  a  bronze  coin,  worth  on  an  aver- 
age one-tenth  of  a  penny,  and  is  the  only  native 
coinage  of  China.  By  means  of  a  square  hole  in 
the  centre  of  the  coins  they  are  strung  into  thou- 
sands. A  stout  piece  of  twine,  rather  more  than 
a  yard  long,  is  knotted  in  the  centre.  The  coins 
are  then  passed  on  from  both  ends.    When  a  hun- 


334     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

dred  are  on  each  side  of  the  knot  a  half-knot  is 
made  with  the  string,  and  two  more  hundreds  are 
passed  on.  This  is  repeated  until  the  string  con- 
tains a  thousand  cash,  making  a  double  row  of 
five  hundreds.  If  the  cash  are  good  the  string  is 
now  worth  a  Mexican  dollar  of  the  value  of  y. 
9^.,  or  thereabout.  In  Amoy  1,120  of  these  cash 
are  usually  reckoned  to  the  dollar. 

The  struggle  for  existence  is  so  great  in  many 
populous  parts  of  China  that  the  whole  energy  of 
the  active  brains  of  a  native  who  knows  not  God 
is  devoted  to  the  absorbing  pursuit  of  small  sums 
of  money.  An  agricultural  laborer  earns  from  50 
to  80  cash,  or  from  2\d.  to  4^.,  a  day.  A  skilled 
artisan,  such  as  a  carpenter,  stone- worker,  house- 
painter,  etc.,  secures  a  daily  wage  of  about  lOo 
cash,  or  ^.Id.  A  shop-hand  often  gets  as  much  as 
120  cash,  or  5.W.  And  daily  earnings  to  the  amount 
of  IS.  or  IS.  3^.  place  a  careful  man  not  merely 
beyond  monetary  anxieties,  but  enable  him  at  the 
same  time  to  cut  something  of  a  figure  as  a  well- 
to-do  person. 

It  is  true  that  these  small  amounts  are  worth 
in  China  from  six  to  eight  times  as  much  as  in 
England;  but  it  is  needful  to  realize  that  the  native 
brethren  are  possessed  of  so  little  money  in  order 
to  understand  the  meaning  of  their  gifts  for  church 
purposes.    Among  the  very  poor  at  home  we  some- 


OUR  CHINESE   BRETHREN  IN  CHRIST.      33j 

times  hear  a  long  dispute  about  a  single  penny, 
but  the  Chinaman  will  argue  long  and  angrily 
about  a  cash  or  two.  An  Amoy  missionary  em- 
ployed two  men  to  do  some  work  for  him,  and 
paid  them  75  cash.  He  should  have  given  either 
74  or  76,  so  that  the  sum  might  divide  evenly. 
One  coin  remaining  over,  they  did  not  toss  for  it, 
as  an  Englishman  might  do,  but  they  woke  the 
echoes  with  a  storm  of  discussion  for  an  hour. 
On  any  market-day  such  a  scene  as  the  following 
may  be  witnessed.  Two  men  are  chaffering  their 
goods  amid  the  greatest  excitement.  A  score  of 
onlookers  regard  them  with  solemn  interest.  The 
disputants  spring  backwards  and  forwards.  Their 
faces  are  distorted  with  passion.  With  voluble 
profanity  and  abuse  they  consign  one  another's 
relatives  to  perdition,  beginning  with  those  most 
nearly  related,  and  gradually  enlarging  the  range 
of  their  antipathies  until  they  have  fairly  exhaust- 
ed themselves  and  their  degraded  talents.  Sud- 
denly there  is  a  lull ;  the  bargain  is  struck  ;  the 
two  men  are  on  perfectly  good  terms ;  they  were 
not  seeking  to  do  one  another  any  mortal  injur}-, 
but  only  observing  the  custom  of  the  country. 
And  now  that  calm  has  followed  storm,  we  dis- 
cover that  this  loud  dispute  was  as  to  whether  the 
price  of  a  large  basket  of  fish  or  a  sack  of  potatoes 
shall  be  reduced  bv  tzvo  cash  or  not. 


2^T,G     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

Ill  some  parts  in  which  the  mission  work 
thrives  the  most  the  people  are  extremely  poor, 
even  for  China.  In  the  district  of  Hui-an,  near 
Amoy,  the  London  Missionary  Society  has  eight 
stations.  A  considerable  proportion  of  the  people 
are  so  poor  that  the  writer  was  frequently  assured 
by  preachers  in  charge  and  others  that  they  can- 
not afford  to  eat  the  rice  they  grow  in  the  fields. 
They  sell  it  to  buy  other  necessaries,  and  them- 
selves live  on  sweet  potatoes,  white  cabbage,  and 
little  snacks  of  dried  fish.  A  difficulty  in  pro- 
curing tea  also  once  brought  out  the  fact  that  the 
best  tea  in  the  district  was  sold  at  3.^^.  a  lb.,  and 
that  very  little  of  even  that  was  used,  great  num- 
bers of  the  people  drinking  as  a  rule  nothing  but 
the  water  in  which  the  sweet  potatoes  were  boiled. 

Let  such  facts  as  these  be  remembered  when 
we  speak  of  the  support  given  by  the  native  Chris- 
tians of  China  to  the  churches  with  which  they 
are  united.  The  sum  contributed  may  not  seem 
to  be  very  large,  but  the  critic  must  know  the  low 
value  of  money  in  China,  and  multiply  it  proba- 
bly by  eight  to  get  its  true  value  in  English  mon- 
ey. He  must  also  consider  the  extreme  poverty 
of  many  of  our  Chinese  brothers  and  sisters  in 
Christ  and  the  money-loving  spirit  which  had  to 
be  subdued  before  such  gifts  could  be  laid  upon 
his  altar.     Paul's  reference  to  "the  grace  of  God 


OUR  CHINESE   BRETHREN   IN   CHRIST.       T^i^j 

bestowed  on  the  churches  of  Macedonia,"  2  Cor. 
8:1,  might  not  infrequently  be  repeated  verbatim 
of  the  churches  of  China,  "how  that  in  a  great 
trial  of  afidiction  the  abundance  of  their  joy  and 
their  deep  poverty  abounded  unto  the  riches  of 
their  liberality." 

Now  let  us  confine  our  attention  to  the  contri- 
butions to  the  London  Missionary  Society  by  the 
native  church  at  Amoy.  The  report  of  1884  states 
the  gift  of  the  native  brethren  at  $2,166,  and  the 
membership  at  883.     We  have  then  these  results: 

The  contributions  of  the  native  church  were 
at  the  rate  of  $2  45  per  church  member,  which 
sum  has  an  English  value  of  about  $19  60,  or, 
roughly,  nearly  $20.  Twenty  dollars  may  be 
reckoned  as  averaging  ^3  i^s.  The  $2  45,  there- 
fore, from  a  Chinaman  is  about  equal  to  ^3  i^s. 
from  an  English  church  member. 

It  need  scarcely  be  added  that  such  an  aver- 
age sum  contributed  by  members  of  our  home 
churches  would  save  them  from  all  financial  em- 
barrassments. There  would  be  little  need  of 
Church  Aid  Societies,  Pastors'  and  Curates'  Pre- 
sentation and  Augmentation  Funds.  There  are 
too  many  so-called  Christians  whose  gift  to  the 
cause  of  Christ  in  the  ministry  of  the  church  and 
its  missions  is  no  more  than  a  threepenny  or  a  six- 
penny piece  now  and  then,  making  a  total  of  only 


338     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

two  or  three  shillings  a  year.  If  the  question  of 
contributions  for  the  support  of  the  gospel  minis- 
try is  to  be  the  test  of  the  reality  of  their  religious 
faith,  the  Chinese  converts  may  dare  to  lift  up 
their  heads. 

It  may  now  be  said  that  a  considerable  propor- 
tion of  the  pastors  and  preachers  in  connection 
with  the  missions  in  Foochow,  Amoy,  and  For- 
mosa are  supported  wholly  or  in  large  measure  by 
the  people  to  whom  they  minister.  In  Amoy,  in- 
deed, as  in  a  few  other  places,  the  native  brethren 
are  beginning  to  interest  themselves  in  the  "re- 
gions beyond." 

A  similar  argument  for  the  earnestness  and 
genuineness  of  the  faith  of  the  native  brethren 
might  be  founded  on  their  readiness  to  speak  of 
Christ  to  others.  Callous  as  too  many  are  about 
the  souls  around  them,  there  is  a  larger  propor- 
tion of  "Christian  workers"  in  the  average  Chi- 
nese church  than  in  the  average  English  church. 
The  missionary  and  the  preacher  may  win  their 
trophies  now  and  again  by  preaching,  and  they  are 
constantly  building  up  the  faith  and  kindling  the 
zeal  of  the  church  members;'  but  the  actual  evan- 
gelization is  largely  done  by  the  lay  brethren. 
Many  a  time,  when  about  to  baptize  a  man,  I  have 
asked  him  to  state  to  the  church  how  he  was  first 
brought  to  trust  in  Christ  for  salvation;  and  in- 


OUR  CHINESE   BRETHREN   IN   CHRIST.      339 

stead  of  replying,  "  By  the  doctrine  of  the  preach- 
er and  missionary,"  he  has  turned  round  to  search 
for  sonic  brother  in  the  congrei^ation,  and  has 
pointed  the  finger  at  him  and  said,  "He  led  me 
to  Christ.  He  used  to  come  to  me  months  ago, 
years  ago,  to  sit  with  me  after  evening  rice.  I 
tried  to  get  rid  of  him,  but  he  still  came  and  be- 
sought me  to  save  my  soul.  I  thank  God  that 
brother  so-and-so  did  not  let  me  alone." 

Not  a  few  of  the  brethren  give  a  large  part  of 
their  leisure  in  the  country  villages  to  speaking 
as  they  can  about  Christ.  Several  I  have  known 
to  be  systematic  lay  readers  without  being  asked 
to  do  the  work.  Every  evening,  when  the  even- 
ing meal  was  over,  they  would  put  a  Gospel  into 
their  pocket,  and  with  pipe  and  tobacco  start 
out  on  their  evangelistic  tour.  Very  strange 
preaching  they  would  call  it  who  get  their  notion 
of  evangelizing  from  the  proprieties  of  religious 
discussion  at  home.  Amid  dirt  and  smells  and 
noise,  through  clouds  of  tobacco-smoke,  the  seed 
of  the  Word  is  dropped  into  varied  soil.  The 
debate  sometimes  waxes  loud  and  energetic  as  a 
quarrel  about  cash.  But  the  "foolishness  of 
preaching"  still  "saves  them  that  believe." 

The  number  of  preacherless  congregations 
scattered  here  and  there  about  the  land  is  a  tes- 
timony to  the  power  of  lay  agency,  while  at  the 


340      ALONG   RIVER  AND   ROAD   IN   FUH-KIEN. 

same  time  it  presents  a  strong  argument  for  in- 
creased effort  in  trying  to  meet  the  opportuni- 
ties of  winning  souls.  It  may  truly  be  said  in 
some  parts  that  "the  field  is  white  unto  har- 
vest," but,  alas!  as  of  old,  "the  laborers  are 
few."  The  writer  has  seen  districts  simply  wait- 
ing to  be  possessed  by  the  missionary.  Three 
congregations  were  waiting  for  pastors  at  the 
same  time.  To  none  of  them  in  their  entirety, 
but  only  to  several  individuals  in  two  of  them, 
had  missionaries  or  preachers  ever  preached.  In 
the  first  there  were  fifteen  persons  who  met  almost 
every  evening  for  worship,  observed  the  Sabbath, 
were  joined  on  the  Sunday  by  four  professed  Chris- 
tians who  had  no  place  of  worship  in  their  neigh- 
borhood, had  set  apart  a  woodshed  as  a  chapel 
and  fitted  it  up  to  accommodate  about  thirty  per- 
sons. The  second  congregation  was  isolated  both 
by  its  distance  from  the  mission  stations  and  its 
position  among  the  hills.  Twenty-one  persons 
made  a  profession  of  the  Christian  faith,  met  daily 
for  prayer,  observed  the  Sabbath,  and  the  able- 
bodied  men  among  them  travelled  on  foot  four- 
teen miles  to  service  when  there  was  anything 
special  going  on  at  the  nearest  chapel.  It  seemed 
sad  to  leave  them  to  themselves,  but  the  mission 
had  no  surplus  of  either  men  or  money. 

The   third  such  congregation  was  still  more 


OUR  CHINESE   BRETHREN    IN   CHRIST.      34I 

interesting.  It  had  been  thonght  desirable  to 
change  a  place  of  Christian  assembly  a  few  miles 
farther  south.  Eleven  men  who  had  been  bap- 
tized at  the  former  chapel  objected  to  the  removal 
of  their  place  of  worship,  and  resolved  to  remain 
in  their  own  neighborhood  and  to  conduct  the 
services  themselves.  There  was  also  a  small 
bone  of  contention  at  the  time  between  them  and 
their  pastors  on  the  subject  of  payments  to  super- 
stitious objects — one  of  those  questions  that  call 
for  great  forbearance  and  charity  on  the  part  of 
the  missionary,  as  well  as  for  firmness  and  definite 
teaching.  No  personal  communication  took  place 
between  them  and  their  pastors  for  four  years. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  I  happened  to  be  spending 
a  few  weeks  in  their  neighborhood,  and  requested 
their  leader  to  come  and  see  me  that  I  might  hear 
the  other  side  of  the  dispute.  Brother  Tiap  came 
at  once.  He  was  a  dark-skinned,  black-eyed  farm- 
er rather  under  size.  But  in  that  small  body  it 
was  evident  that  there  burned  a  fire  of  energy 
that  needed  to  be  controlled;  which,  if  rightly  di- 
rected, would  be  a  power  for  good,  but  if  brow- 
beaten and  opposed,  could  assert  itself  in  mis- 
chievous forms  through  very  excess  of  zeal. 
"  Brother  Tiap,"  I  said,  "why  do  you  not  come 
to  worship  with  us?"  "Why  should  I  come 
to  worship  with  you?"  he  said.     "Does  it  not 


3^2     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KI^N. 

take  two  full  hours  to  walk  here  and  two  full 
hours  to  walk  back?  Cannot  we  worship  God 
in  our  ancestral  village?  Why,  too,  should  we 
neglect  our  wives  and  children,  our  aged  parents 
and  our  neighbors?  No,  we  will  not  worship 
with  you;  we  will  tell  of  the  love  of  God  to  our 
fLimilies  and  friends."  This  was  said  with  flash- 
ing eyes  and  fiery  gestures,  in  a  loud  voice,  and 
with  the  broadest  provincial  accent.  I  resolved 
to  make  a  friend  of  a  Christian  man  capable  of 
so  much  passion.  It  was  quite  encouraging  to 
meet  with  one  who  was  saying  by  his  conduct, 
"The  zeal  of  Thine  house  hath  eaten  me  up." 
He  and  his  friends  might  have  been  wrong  in  the 
first  instance,  or  they  might  have  been  justified 
in  their  complaint.  That  was  nothing  to  me. 
I  had  as  a  Christian  man  simply  to  ask  whether 
these  were  believers  trying  to  walk  according  to 
the  law  of  Christ,  and  while  not  palliating  their 
faults,  still  not  to  treat  them  with  anything  less 
than  Christian  respect  and  love,  and  the  more  so 
because  their  knowledge  was  imperfect  and  their 
spiritual  culture  immature.  A  long  conversation, 
during  which  gentleness  of  treatment  toned  Tiap 
down  to  a  reverent  and  emotional  frame  of  mind, 
brought  out  the  following  facts.  The  little  band 
of  eleven  malcontents  had  been  multiplied  in  the 
four  years  to  fifty  regular  worshippers  who  pro- 


OUR   CHINESE   BRETHREN    IN   CHRIST.      343 

fessed  Christianity,  and  twenty-five  who  were 
not  quite  so  decided,  but  were  reckoned  as  be- 
longing to  the  Christian  community.  In  the 
little  village  of  Poo-kee  they  had  set  apart  a  house 
as  a  chapel,  and  service  was  held  there  twice  and 
thrice  on  Sunday.  On  the  week  evenings  a 
number  of  persons  assembled  for  worship.  The 
village  was  so  changed  by  the  existence  of  this 
chapel  that  it  was  commonly  known  as  "  Pai 
Shang-ti  sia,"  the  village  where  God  is  wor- 
shipped; and  superstitious  practices  had  almost 
ceased  in  it.  Tiap  generally  conducted  the  ser- 
vices himself,  but  being  only  a  very  indifferent 
scholar,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  walking  on  Satur- 
day to  Chinchew,  a  distance  of  nine  miles  each 
way,  in  order  to  learn  the  characters  he  could  not 
understand,  that  he  might  read  the  Scripture  les- 
sons correctly.  The  bombastic  way  in  which 
Tiap  began  to  tell  me  all  this  passed  off  as  he  pro- 
ceeded, and  he  gave  to  God  all  the  glory  of  the 
wonderful  work.  I  could  not  help  saying  at  the 
close  of  the  conversation  (in  which  one  or  two 
preachers  took  part),  "Brother  Tiap,  go  on  as 
you  are  doing,  and  the  Lord  be  with  you.  May 
you  never  worship  here  except  as  a  visitor  and  a 
friend!" 

I  arranged  to  go  and  see  the  brotherhood  at 
Poo-kee  two  days  later.     It  was  a  bad  road  even 


314     ALONG    RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

for  China.  The  chapel  was  at  last  pointed  out  to 
me  on  the  other  side  of  a  gully,  and  as  I  stood 
there  the  wind  wafted  across  to  me  the  sound  of  a 
hymn.  It  was  sung  so  well  that  the  words  were 
audible: 

"  My  heart  doth  praise  indeed, 
Because  of  God's  great  grace; 
From  ruin  he  lias  saved  my  life; 
Let  heart  and  will  adore." 

On  entering  the  house  I  found  just  about  a 
hundred  persons  present.  After  preaching  to 
them  on  the  new  birth,  from  John  3:3,  we  had  a 
conference  as  to  their  affairs,  I  had  to  confess 
that  we  had  no  preacher  to  send  them,  and  that, 
if  we  had,  it  would  be  needful  to  have  a  fuller 
conference  than  was  possible  then  and  there  be- 
fore a  preacher  could  be  appointed.  The  result 
of  our  deliberations  was  that  the  congregation  ap- 
pointed three  of  their  number,  of  whom  Tiap  was 
one,  to  be  joint  preachers  in  charge.  They  were 
to  take  it  in  turn  to  conduct  the  Sunday  services. 
On  the  other  two  Sundays  they  were  to  bring 
some  twelve  to  twenty  vigorous  young  men  a  dis- 
tance of  seven  and  a  half  miles  to  the  nearest  dis- 
trict city,  where  there  was  a  resident  pastor  of 
considerable  ability.  This  arrangement  contin- 
ued for  several  years,  until  a  preacher  was  ap- 
pointed to  Poo-kee,  and  the  station  and  its  mem- 


OUR   CHINESE    BRETHREN    IN   CHRIST.      345 

bers  are  now  reckoned  as  belonging  to  the  Lon- 

don  Missionary  Society. 

The  importance  of  such  facts  as  these  can 
hardly  be  overestimated  when  we  are  trying  to 
test  the  genuineness  of  the  faith  of  converts  to 
Christianity.  Many  faulty  members  there  are; 
some,  alas !  who  seem  quite  impassive  in  the  face 
of  the  mass  of  heathenism  around  them.  But  a 
great  part  of  the  real  evangelistic  work,  the  work 
of  bringing  in  those  that  are  out  of  the  way,  is 
done  by  the  church  members  themselves.  Let 
the  missionary  lament  as  he  may  the  coldness  and 
apathy  of  his  flock  in  liberality,  in  readiness  to 
speak  for  Christ,  in  endurance  of  reproach,  in 
faith  in  prayer,  the  Chinese  Christians  bear  very 
favorable  comparison  with  their  brethren  in  Eng- 
land. 

The  fact  that  the  Chinese  are  generally  very 
ready  speakers  ought  to  be  noticed  in  this  con- 
nection, for  it  bears  directly  upon  the  question  of 
evangelization  by  means  of  native  instrumentali- 
ties. Their  garrulousness  may  be  accounted  for 
on  the  ground  of  their  having  in  their  various 
languages  almost  nothing  that  can  be  called 
grammar.  The  mysteries  of  moods,  tenses,  per- 
sons, cases,  and  genders  are  happily  absent  from 
the  simple  tongues  of  China.  Consequently  it  is 
hardly  possible  for  a  native  to  make  a  mistake  in 


346     ALONG  RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN   FUH-KIEN. 

the  turn  and  shape  of  a  sentence.  He  has  scarce- 
ly to  think  about  the  fonn  of  his  sentences  at  all, 
but  only  of  the  matter. 

Besides,  every  boy  is  allowed  to  express  his 
opinions.  The  saying,  ' '  Little  people  should  be 
seen  and  not  heard,"  may  sometimes  pass  the 
lips  of  the  elders,  but  not  often.  The  children 
join  in  the  conversation  of  the  older  folks  as  a 
matter  of  course  and  upon  equal  terms.  I  re- 
member on  one  occasion  going  into  a  heathen 
temple  where  eight  or  ten  old  men  were  smoking 
their  long  pipes  and  discussing  some  weighty 
theme.  A  little  fellow  seven  years  of  age  was 
among  them.  He  gave  his  opinion  on  the  sub- 
ject in  dispute  as  though  he  had  as  much  right  to 
speak  as  they,  and  yet  not  with  any  foolish  airs. 
The  old  men  solemnly  turned  round  to  listen  to 
this  youngster.  No  one  rebuked  him  for  his  im- 
pertinence in  speaking.  The  boys  are  kept  in 
their  place  by  very  rigid  laws  of  etiquette,  but 
they  are  seldom  told  to  be  silent  and  listen  to 
their  elders. 

The  result  is  that  the  men  express  themselves 
with  ease,  fluency,  and  point.  If  they  have  any- 
thing to  say,  they  simply  say  it.  The  shyness, 
nervousness,  dread  of  murdering  the  grammar, 
and  horror  lest  the  sentence  should  not  work  it- 
self through  to  an  end,  that  afflict  many  English 


I 


OUR   CHINESE    BRETHREN    IN    CHRIST.      347 

speakers  are  almost  unknown  to  the  Chinaman. 
As  a  rule,  too,  they  have  a  much  finer  faculty  for 
illustration  than  ourselves.  It  might  almost  be 
said  that,  given  a  man  whose  heart  the  Lord  has 
opened,  you  have  also  a  man  whose  lips  the  Lord 
has  touched.  The  most  learned  English  mission- 
ary, the  most  gifted  and  eloquent  in  his  own 
tongue,  cannot  hope  to  speak  with  half  as  much 
power  as  the  least  educated  Chinaman  who  has 
the  grace  of  God  in  his  heart.  One  needs  to  be 
a  Chinaman  in  order  to  think  as  a  Chinaman 
and  to  use  such  illustrations  and  references  and 
phrases  as  will  make  public  speech  effective. 

China  will  never  be  converted  through  the 
lips  of  the  foreigner.  At  the  present  rate  at  which 
missionaries  are  sent  to  that  country  it  would  take 
ages  to  do  so.  But  there  is  room  to  doubt  wheth- 
er it  was  ever  designed  by  the  Head  of  the  church 
that  it  should  be  done  by  the  presence  and  money 
of  foreign  nations.  The  church  at  Jerusalem  sent 
out  its  small  bands  of  messengers  for  a  few  years 
only.  When  the  church  had  taken  root  in  foreign 
lands  the  work  of  the  first  missionary  society  at 
Jerusalem  was  over.  From  that  time  the  church 
must  live  or  die  according  to  the  vitality  inhe- 
rent in  it.  If  it  could  not  live  it  would  deserve  to 
die. 

Most  of  the  missionaries  recognize  the  temper- 


348     ALONG   RIVER  AND  ROAD  IN  FUH-KIEN. 

ary  nature  of  foreign  effort  very  clearly,  and  are 
devoting  themselves  to  the  work  of  trainincr  a  na- 
live  ministry.  Not  thousands  of  Englishmen  or 
Americans  are  needed,  but  thousands  and  tens  of 
thousands  of  Chinamen  with  consecrated  lips  and 
hearts.  Not  so  much  scJiolars  as  men  are  needed. 
If  the  scholar  is  tacked  on  to  the  man,  well  and 
good;  better  to  be  a  scholar  than  not;  but  it  is  the 
man  that  is  needed — the  brave,  true-hearted,  con- 
secrated man,  who  can  stand  alone  without  a  for- 
eign missionary  to  look  after  him,  back  him  up, 
and  push  him  forward.  Every  missionary  sighs 
after  such  men.  They  are  too  uncommon  over 
there,  as  they  are  in  most  places.  But  the  pro- 
fessing Christians  now  number  25,000  persons. 
It  is  time  to  look  for  China's  apostle.  He  has 
not  yet  given  signs  of  his  coming.  Not  one,  but 
many  men  must  be  given  in  answer  to  the  con- 
stant and  earnest  prayers  that  are  offered.  When 
the  apostle  comes  he  will  be  a  Chinaman  and  not 
a  foreigner.  Will  he  come  out  of  one  of  the  na- 
tive theological  colleges,  now  numbering  several 
hundred  students?  or  will  he  come  from  some  un- 
expected quarter,  as  God's  ambassadors  so  often 
do?  We  cannot  tell;  but  may  he  come  soon! 
and  may  he  shake  the  nation  as  did  the  Baptist  in 
the  desert ! 


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